New COVID-19 saliva testing site to open in Thief River Falls

A new pop-up site to test for COVID-19 will open in Thief River Falls next week.

The Minnesota Department of Health said the temporary saliva testing site will be open from noon-6 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday at the Thief River Falls Armory. Appointments aren’t necessary but are still strongly encouraged. Tests can be scheduled online.

"Testing is a key component of our strategy to protect Minnesotans from COVID-19," MDH Commissioner Jan Malcolm said. "Through a robust, collaborative statewide testing program, we have made great progress in removing obstacles to testing. When combined with social distancing, masking, avoiding crowds and staying home when sick, testing can help us slow the spread of COVID-19 while we work tirelessly to get as many Minnesotans as we can vaccinated."

As will all community testing sites, there is no cost for participants, although staff will ask for health insurance information to bill their insurance company. However, insurance isn’t required.