Boulder County: Boulder County residents who meet the testing criteria and would like to be tested for the novel coronavirus can contact their regular health care provider or visit a community testing site.
The testing criteria are that the resident is either showing symptoms of the virus or works with the public as an essential worker, such as in health care, at a nursing home, or as a first responder.
Both viral (swab-based) testing and antibody (serology) testing are available. Viral tests determine if the virus is present in a person’s body. They help diagnose new infections quickly after a person has become infected so the spread of disease can be contained. Antibody tests look for the body’s response to the virus in the blood and can be used in research to understand where the virus has been and the extent of its spread. Antibody tests cannot be used to diagnose an acute infection.
As more people are tested, positive results will aid in tracking and tracing close contacts, which are vital to control the virus and save lives.
The Colorado Division of Insurance has directed Colorado-regulated insurance plans not to charge copays for testing, and residents with Medicaid insurance or a Children’s Health Insurance Program can get tested at no cost. For individuals without insurance, community testing sites can send samples to the state lab and the state will cover the cost of the testing and supplies. In addition, most businesses are now required to provide paid leave for those who test positive.
Medicaid will cover life-threatening COVID-19-related health care for undocumented immigrants, and will not be considered a negative factor in a public charge determination. Undocumented immigrants can also get free or very-low-cost COVID-19 health care at community health providers or primary care offices without Medicaid.
Anyone who has lost job-based health insurance coverage within the last 60 days may qualify for a special enrollment period at Connect for Health Colorado.
Larimer County: Larimer County Public Health, in partnership with local hospitals, has increased COVID-19 testing capacity. Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 should call their health care provider to determine whether a COVID-19 test needs to be ordered.
Banner Health, UCHealth, and Larimer County Public Health testing sites will not accept walk-ins. Everyone must be screened in advance and scheduled for an appointment.
Larimer County Public Health provides drive-through testing on Tuesdays and Fridays. People who are experiencing symptoms and asymptomatic people who have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive to COVID-19 are eligible for testing. People registering for testing must be at least 18 years of age. The nearest facility to Lyons is the Loveland Community Health Center.
To register for COVID-19 testing through Larimer County, complete the registration form here.
For general questions, call the Joint Information Center at 970-498-5500. The Center is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but you will likely get faster answers if you contact your doctor. Go to the county’s health web pages for updates on COVID-19 news.