Citadel Mall COVID-19 testing site closes for inclement weather five times in three weeks
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — El Paso County Public Health announced the free public COVID-19 testing site at the Citadel Mall closed early Friday because of inclement weather. It’s the fifth time in three weeks the drive-through testing location has closed early due to weather.
The Citadel Mall testing site opened to the public on Tuesday, Aug. 11. Since then, El Paso County Public Health notified KRDO of early closures at the testing site on Aug. 15, 19, 20, 26, and 28. Each closure was because of weather.
The health department says it is in direct contact with the National Weather Service for advice on when to close. Janel McNair is the emergency preparedness and response coordinator for El Paso County Public Health. She says the testing setup at the Citadel Mall can expose staff to the elements.
“The safety of the staff and those that are operating the site are a top priority,” McNair said.
El Paso County Public Health says the tests themselves are stored in sealed vaccine coolers to regulate the temperature and are not exposed to the outdoors.
“The high winds, the hail, any lightning in the immediate area, those are all things that could impact the safety of the staff,” McNair said.
The tents used at the Citadel Mall drive-through testing site are big enough to cover the driver and passenger car doors, but not the entire car. Tents used at other private healthcare provider sites are sometimes bigger, which can provide more protection from rain, wind, and hail.
Cary Vogrin, a spokesperson for UCHealth, said the hospital’s drive-through testing locations closed fewer than five times due to weather since opening in March.
“In a few cases we opened early the next day to accommodate patients from the closure the day prior,” Vogrin said.
UCHealth’s drive-through COVID-19 testing sites at Parkside and Printers Park are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central drive-through testing location is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.
El Paso County Public Health’s community-based testing site at the Citadel Mall is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. McNair says the extended hours and weekend testing availability hope to provide added convenience to anyone needing to get tested.
She also recommends people check the El Paso County Public Health website before heading to the Citadel Mall location for a coronavirus test. McNair says patients are getting COVID-19 test results in one or two days at the Citadel Mall location. You can find a full list of COVID-19 testing sites in the region here.
