COVID-19 testing site opens for front-line workers
HEIDI DESCH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 years AGO
The Flathead Community Health Center is operating a COVID-19 testing center for front-line workers in the Whitefish High School parking lot. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
DEPUTY EDITOR, FEATURES Heidi Desch is the Deputy Editor at the Daily Inter Lake, overseeing coverage of arts, culture, lifestyle, community, and business. Desch leads reporters in developing stories that highlight the people, traditions, and events shaping Northwest Montana, guiding content across print and digital platforms. With more than 20 years of journalism experience, including serving as managing editor of the Whitefish Pilot, Desch is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism. She has received multiple Montana Newspaper Association awards, including part of the team leading the Daily Inter Lake to Best Daily Newspaper in Montana Award and the General Excellence Award in 2024 and 2025. IMPACT: Heidi’s work connects readers with stories that deepen the understanding of the community beyond daily news. | July 1, 2020 1:00 AM
Free COVID-19 testing is available in Whitefish for front-line workers who interact with the public frequently, but are asymptomatic.
The Flathead Community Health Center is operating the testing center on Thursdays from 12:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and on Fridays from 7 a.m. to noon in the Whitefish High School parking lot.
City Manager Dana Smith said while the testing site is designed for those who interact with customers regularly, it is open to anyone interested in being tested.
“These testing sites provide a snapshot of our community and provide early detection of any potential outbreaks,” she said.
Those with symptoms of respiratory illness should go to a regular health care provider, where they can be tested and get results much faster.
A testing site is also set up in West Glacier two days per week for frontline employees.
Those wishing to be tested, drive up to the site and remain in their vehicle while being screened for symptoms of respiratory illness before filling out paperwork. A person is handed a testing kit and the test is self-administered by placing a swab in their own nose.
The test results take about five to seven days, and folks will be notified of their results. Those who test positive, will receive a call from the Flathead Community Health Center and contact tracing is then performed by the Flathead City-County Health Department.
The health department recently found evidence of community spread in the county.
The county has recorded 59 total cases of the virus, with one of those a non-resident being monitored in the county. There were 15 active cases in the county as of Tuesday morning.
Since the state reopened to tourists on June 1, the number of cases statewide has increased.
Montana’s COVD-19 Task Force on Monday announced 56 new cases, a record high for the state’s daily total of new positive cases, and then on Tuesday reported another 49 cases.
There have been nearly 1,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the state. More than 90,000 tests have been performed.
Whitefish reminds folks to slow the spread of COVID-19 by washing or sanitizing hands frequently, practicing social distancing and wearing a mask when distancing isn’t feasible.
For more information on testing sites, visit https://flatheadhealth.org/FCHC/
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