Drive-Through, Pop-Up COVID-19 Testing Coming To Kona

Drive-Through, Pop-Up COVID-19 Testing Coming To Kona
A pop-up testing clinic for COVID-19 will be set up at the Old Kona Airport Park on Monday, March 23.  The County of Hawai`i COVID-19 Task Force has teamed up with Premier Medical Group and HOPE Services to offer the clinic, with the support of The Ironman World Championship and Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation.

The one-day clinic will be held from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.  This clinic is open to the public; however, individuals must first undergo a screening to determine if they meet the criteria to be tested. Clinic physicians on site will make the determination regarding testing. The screening criteria will be based on guidance of the CDC and the State’s COVID-19 Response Task Force.

“The fact is, we need to screen to know where the disease is. That’s the key,” said Dr. Scott Miscovich, president and founder of Premier Medical Group Hawai‘i.

Dry cough and fever are the most common symptoms of COVID-19, but the disease is also known to cause other upper respiratory symptoms, and in some cases, none at all. Other factors that will determine eligibility for testing include travel history, frequency of exposure to visitors from outside Hawai`i, and frequency of exposure to vulnerable or high-risk populations.

People who visit the screening clinic will be asked to show photo ID.  Additionally, people are requested to bring any health insurance cards they have, although insurance is not required. 

Miscovich, who serves as senior advisor to Lieutenant Governor Josh Green, said that the hope is to provide enough COVID-19 drive-thru testing sites as needed.  The goal is to hold pop-up clinics in rural areas of the island to provide the critical support that is needed.

The belief among State leaders, including Lt. Governor Josh Green, is that increased screenings will slow the spread in Hawai‘i.  “To beat this, the key is to screen, screen, screen,” Miscovich said.