FISHERS, Ind. — The line for a COVID-19 test at the Fishers Health Department doesn’t come as a surprise anymore to those who work there.
“We always have a line and that’s because we have more than 20 appointments per time slot,” said Monica Heltz, director of the Fishers Health Department.
For the past few weeks, the site has been giving out hundreds of tests a day.
“Even with doubling appointments, it is already booked up several days out, which tells you the status of where we are with testing right now in the state,” Heltz said.
Heltz said a lot of the people coming in are students and teachers as the virus continues to disrupt classrooms.
This week, both Pike Township and part of Warren Township Schools went virtual due to staffing problems.
Also, more than 6,500 students statewide tested positive the week after winter break, according to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard. That’s on top of the more than 600 teachers and close to 900 staff members who also tested positive.
This increased demand can be overwhelming for testing sites and families who are trying to find an appointment or an at-home test.
That’s why Fishers Health Department is now prioritizing PCR testing for students, teachers and staff at Fishers-based K-12 schools. The school can either be public or private.
“They are not in the same lines. The testing process is a little bit faster, and it goes through our private lab instead of with all of the millions of tests going through the state,” Heltz said.
For six days a week, the dedicated hours are before and after school. All you need to do is make an appointment and determine if you are eligible.
At the same time, the health department doubled appointments for other residents.
“There should not be any net loss to our residents, only a gain as we have added several hundred appointments per day,” Heltz said.
Heltz hopes this new option will improve access and availability for families and most of all, keep schools open.
The health department's testing site is located at 3 Municipal Drive in Fishers. Eligible students and staff may visit www.fishers.in.us/SchoolTesting to make an appointment.
Hours of operation for school-based testing:
- Monday 7:30 - 9 a.m. and 3 - 5 p.m.
- Tuesday 7:30 - 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
- Wednesday 7:30 - 9 a.m. and 3 - 5 p.m.
- Thursday 7:30 - 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
- Friday 7:30 - 9 a.m. and 2 - 4 p.m.
- Saturday 12 - 2 p.m.