As healthcare moves from COVID-19 response to resumption of normal operations, Fitzgibbon Hospital in Marshall will end its round-the-clock curbside testing and transition to a more permanent location and process inside the hospital.

According to a news release, the makeshift tent outside the Emergency Department will be coming down, and all patients will be directed to a new testing station inside Fitzgibbon Hospital near Ambulatory Care.

Effective Tuesday, June 16, COVID-19 testing will occur in a newly-configured testing station which allows for the privacy of patients and the safety of staff, patients and visitors. The specimen collection site will operate from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday; and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Patients with a provider’s order for testing should present it during these hours.

Universal masking is still in effect for all individuals entering the hospital. In addition to wearing a mask, patients will be asked to wait in the main lobby, observing social-distancing measures, until they are called back to the testing area for specimen collection.

Patients who have a referral for COVID-19 or other lab testing – whether pre-procedure testing or otherwise scheduled – should be aware of the revised location and availability of testing hours. Anyone experiencing the need for emergency care, including symptoms of COVID-19, may be seen by Emergency Room personnel for a medical evaluation in accordance with existing Emergency Department procedures.