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By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

Maplesville residents with coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms will have a convenient way to get tested 1-4 p.m. on April 17 at the Maplesville Depot.

Registration to receive an assigned time slot is required.

Cahaba Medical Care is doing the drive-thru testing and asks that only those with “symptoms such as fever, cough and shortness of breath, employer mandate (or) significant exposure to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19” schedule a testing time.

Registration can be completed at www.surveymonkey.com/r/Maplesville_COVID_DriveThru.

“The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued guidelines that we not test individuals who are simply requesting a test and do not meet the testing criteria,” Cahaba Medical stated in a press release.

“Testing resources are scarce,” the release stated.

Costs for the test are covered by health insurance or Medicare/Medicaid. For those without health insurance, the cost is $20.

Patients should bring their driver’s license and insurance cards to their test.

Courtney Allen, rural community development coordinator for Cahaba Medical, said those who are tested at the site would be required to stay quarantined in their home until they received their test results. Those who test positive will be contacted by phone, but all patients will be able to access their results through the medical center’s online patient portal. Results should be available two to five business days after the testing.

“We wanted to offer this service in Maplesville to better serve our patients and residents in this area by providing easy, convenient access to COVID-19 testing for those who need it,” Allen said.  “We know that limited testing resources has been a major concern, especially in rural areas, and we want to do our part to help address that issue. Additionally, as a community health center, our goal during this pandemic is to help keep those who may not have COVID or those with milder symptoms out of the ER, so that hospitals can preserve their resources for the sickest COVID patients.”

The hope is that similar events can be held on a periodic basis during the pandemic.

“However, with limited testing resources and the shortage of PPE, it ultimately depends on whether or not we are able to obtain the necessary supplies,” Allen said.