At a drive-up COVID-19 coronavirus testing station.
At a drive-up COVID-19 coronavirus testing station.

Drive-thru coronavirus screenings offered at Blue Ridge Community College.

The screening site is set up for community members exhibiting symptoms of cough, fever greater than 100 degrees and shortness of breath, and have already spoken with the Pardee COVID-19 Helpline at 828-694-8048 to determine if symptoms qualify for flu and/or COVID-19 testing.

Patients are being asked to refrain from showing up at the site without first being screened by phone. Patients who arrive without having met screening criteria will be asked to pull out of the line and call the Pardee COVID-19 Helpline.

If a patient meets screening criteria, they will be asked to drive to Blue Ridge Community College and follow the signs for screening. No one under the age of 12 will be screened. The site, at 180 West Campus Drive on the BRCC campus, will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In a news release, Pardee officials said the site “is an extremely important step in preventing community spread and minimizing patient surges within the hospital setting.”

David Ellis, chief medical officer for Pardee UNC Health, said the screening site will continue to evolve, and asked that the community have patience with all parties involved as they navigate uncharted territory.

Pardee UNC Health and Henderson County Government, working with the Henderson County Department of Public Health, Henderson County Emergency Management, and the Mountain Area Healthcare Preparedness Coalition, coordinated to offer the screening site. “We are so grateful to our partners,” Ellis said. “They all, without hesitation, quickly stepped forward to help in whatever way that they could to make this endeavor come together for our community.”