More than 600 tested at county’s saliva testing event
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Yuma County held its first saliva testing event Saturday, grabbing snapshots of the percentage of positive cases.
671 people were given coronavirus saliva tests while 31 people took nasal swabs.
This will help the county gauge where we are at with our coronavirus numbers to determine if we can move to phase 2 of the re-opening process.
Residents were required to register in advance and could attend with or without symptoms. The county emphasized the importance of attendance because of those people who may have the virus and be asymptomatic.
David Thomas with Arizona State University tells News 11 why testing is crucial for the county.
"The testing is really critical both for going back to school but also for reopening businesses. If you know whether or not you're positive or negative, you can make a smart decision," Thomas explained. "If you know you're negative, you're safe to re-enter the school. If you know you're positive, you know you need to quarantine and there needs to be contact tracing."
This event took place at Arizona Western College, and there will be another saliva testing event at the Wellton Library next Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
