The Haines SEARHC clinic. (Photo by Henry Leasia)

Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) announced last week that it would be expanding the availability of COVID-19 testing at its clinics. Free tests will be available on the weekends to anyone, regardless of whether they have symptoms of the illness. 

The increased availability of testing at SEARHC clinics was made possible thanks to a grant from the federal Indian Health Service (IHS). 

Maegan Bosak is the Director of Marketing and Communications for SEARHC. She says SEARHC had been trying to offer asymptomatic testing for some time, but resources were limited.

“Testing supplies are absolutely a component of that. The other is hiring staff to be available on the weekends to conduct the testing to help instruct people, and then also the lab send outs for that,” Bosak says.

Due to limited resources, SEARHC had certain requirements for people to receive a COVID-19 test if they were not displaying any symptoms. Bosak says the weekend tests will be available to anyone. 

“You do not need a referral, you do not need an appointment. You can be tested more than once. You could be tested every week if you’d like to. It’s really available for folks who are concerned, and it will help to paint a picture of how present COVID is in our communities,” Bosak says.

On Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Haines residents will be able to get tested at the SEARHC Haines Health Center. The test is a self-swab. Healthcare professionals will be on hand to instruct people how to perform it. 

“So an attendant will give each person a test to take, they will step aside, it’s a nostril test. They will put their specimen in a tube and return it to the attendant prior to leaving,” Bosak says. “It’s a very quick test and it should be an easy process.”

SEARHC will continue offering tests during the week by appointment to individuals with symptoms and those who have vouchers for a test. 

Bosak says that the turnaround time for tests of asymptomatic individuals will be about 7 days. 

“With the quantity of testing increasing across the state, we’re noticing an increase in the time it takes to get those results,” Bosak says.

When asked if asymptomatic individuals who receive a test must self-isolate until receiving a result, Bosak responded that they should consult a physician. 

According to Bosak, SEARHC plans to offer asymptomatic testing through December. 

The first weekend of testing begins in Haines on July 18.