Two months shy of two years after its opening, the Curative COVID-testing trailer at Don Armeni Boat Ramp has closed. We asked about its status after noticing it was no longer listed on the company’s webmap, though the trailer was still on site when we checked this morning. Curative spokesperson Pasquale Gianni tells WSB the company expects to close all its COVID-testing sites by the end of the year, unless “an unexpected demand for testing services” arises. (Gianni adds that the company is pivoting to another health-care venture, involving “a new approach to employer-based health insurance” that it’s launching in Austin, Texas.) For a while, Curative also had a testing van on the Summit Atlas campus in Arbor Heights, but closed that one in May.
With the Don Armeni Curative closure, one major testing site remains in West Seattle, in the parking lot of Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle). UW Medicine operates that one in partnership with the city. We checked on its status; UW Medicine spokesperson Leila Gray tells WSB, “The site is likely to close when the Federal Public Health Emergency Declaration expires. This is the official declaration of the COVID pandemic’s status as a national public health emergency. This Federal Emergency Declaration was last renewed October 13, 2022, as announced by U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, and it would expire in about 3 months unless renewed.” So for now, that site remains in operation until further notice.
Also of note: The state Health Department is still offering free home-testing kits through at least the end of the year; this reminder last week explains how to get them.
ADDED TUESDAY: A commenter pointed out last night that the free-tests website says they’ve run out. We checked with the Health Department this morning; a spokesperson replied that they’re indeed out right now but: “We are working with our vendor to get a new supply, possibly as early as this week.”
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