A new COVID-19 testing site in St Paul will provide 1,000 tests per day starting next Tuesday, according to Governor Tim Walz.
The new federally-run site was secured due to a surge in COVID-19 cases brought on by the Omicron variant and will be located in the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) building on the State Capitol Mall.
The free testing site will not collect insurance information and will provide nasal-swab PCR tests for all ages from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily starting February 14.
However, on the first day of operation, on January 25, the test will begin at 10 a.m. Appointments are recommended, but some walk-in appointments will be taken each day.
Register directly with the testing provider at doineedacovid19test.com or visit the state’s COVID-19 Community Testing Site page.
“Testing against the highly infectious Omicron variant is one of our key tools,” Walz said in a statement Friday. “All Minnesotans deserve access to free, easy and convenient testing to ensure our communities stay safe, our children can stay in school or child care, and our essential workers can continue to provide vital services. This new site will provide more testing as we face the current surge in cases.”
To take the test, Minnesotans must fill out a pre-registration form and create an account with the testing provider. The test results are expected within 48 to 72 hours. When people’s test results are ready, they will receive an email from an address ending “@ineedacovid19test.com”, and will log into their account to reach them. Those who do not have email access can call 18006358611 to get their result.
The federal community testing site will be located in the MNDOT Building at 395 John Ireland Blvd. Free parking is available at the MNDOT Building Parking Ramp F, Main Level, 424 Rice St. The building is wheelchair accessible.
