CORONAVIRUS: SW Thistle testing site to close

| Coronavirus | West Seattle news

Thanks to Abbie for the tip. After two and a half years of operation, the walk-up COVID testing site in the parking lot at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle) is closing. The website for this and other testing locations around the area says the SW Thistle site and four others are closing after March 31, and we’ve just verified that with UW Medicine, which has partnered with the city at this site since May 2021. The site opened on August 26, 2020, becoming the fourth city-run COVID testing site. (Of note – when we reported the plan to open the site, we included a quote from then-Mayor Jenny Durkan, who told us the city was continuing to open test sites because “We’re going to have to live with COVID at least another year or so.”) Then half a year after beginning testing there, the city added a vaccination clinic to the site. Later in the spring of 2021, the city discontinued testing at the site for a short time, before restarting it with UW Medicine. This has been the last freestanding testing site in West Seattle since the Curative kiosk at Don Armeni closed back in November. Until Friday, March 31st, the NCSWAC testing site remains open Mondays-Saturdays, 9 am-5:30 pm.

shotinthefoot March 15, 2023 (12:47 pm)

Big thanks to everyone who worked there over the last three terrible years! Every time I had to go everyone was so nice, and it was very well organized.

m March 15, 2023 (1:21 pm)

Same. This site was our family’s reliable resource.

LB March 15, 2023 (1:28 pm)

This is the only place I’ve ever gotten tested – they were so great and efficient–go in the morning and get result back by the end of the day.. So… where are we going to get PCR tested now? The rapid tests often don’t give you a positive until 3-4 days after symptoms start (or even later), and you have to start Paxlovid within 5 days, so PCR testing is super essential for managing Covid.

1994 March 15, 2023 (10:08 pm)

Same here – this was the only place we went for testing due to convenience and efficiency.

Jim March 15, 2023 (3:37 pm)

Exactly my same question, people are still getting COVID! People are still dying of Covid. This is a real shame that this Covid testing area is not going to be available for the community!

Sue March 15, 2023 (4:33 pm)

Is this the ploy for us all to pretend Covid doesn’t exist? If we can’t easily get PCR tests when symptomatic, then there’s no official record and they can say the pandemic is over. Sigh. I always went to SODO when I needed a test. Being disabled, drive-thru testing was easiest for me. That one closed and I’m not even sure if any drive-thru locations even still exist. So frustrating.

WS Res March 15, 2023 (9:50 pm)

Get Lucira molecular tests and report your results to Make My Test Count.

Plf March 15, 2023 (6:37 pm)

I have been working for UW Medicine for the last 2.5 years with the Covid response team, we are closing our efforts March 31 st so if you need boosters step up, after March testing and boosters will cost or charged to your insurance

snowskier March 15, 2023 (7:44 pm)

Thanks for running an efficient test site. We always found it convenient and the staff we quite helpful. I’m glad we’re at this phase with COVID. Vaccines and boosters have been available for 2+ years and have been extremely successful in dulling the impacts of the virus. COVID is here to stay, as are the flu, the cold and a host of other illnesses but we’re moving out of the pandemic stage and back to normal life.

B March 16, 2023 (5:16 am)

Are we supposed to go to Urgent Care to get tested? We still need results from a PCR Test for daycare if my child has symptoms. This site was so easy and helpful to getting the test and results so efficiently.

Watertowerjim March 16, 2023 (5:46 am)

Major thank you to everyone involved. We must have used that place ten times to get travel tests done during the Covid “papers please” era. Our kids also got their original J&J(glad they got that one!) there too.

Lola March 16, 2023 (7:32 am)

This has been my go to spot everytime I thought I might have covid and the one time I did have covid it gave me peace of mind to have it checked out. Thank you to all who worked here.

AlexC March 16, 2023 (7:53 am)

Very frustrating seeing this close down. I don’t drive but I do walk and bike short distances. My only way to get a PCR test now is to get on a bus and travel somewhere possibly exposing people. Rapid home tests have not been accurate with each new variant. Covid isn’t over. Half my coworkers have had it again since New Years. Some with long Covid symptoms still lingering. They need to extend the emergency again so testing is still free and available until Covid is actually dealt with.

ACG March 16, 2023 (10:33 pm)

Thank you to everyone who worked there. Every time we went, it was super easy, very efficient, and everyone who worked there was so polite and kind. I am bummed that it is closing. It was a great resource to have easy access to.

Sorry, comment time is over.