Sites continue to test for covid-19; death toll rises

FILE -- Nurse Caitlin Percival bags a covid-19 test, Friday, April 24, 2020 at a drive-thru testing site at the Mercy Convenient Care in Bentonville.
(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)
FILE -- Nurse Caitlin Percival bags a covid-19 test, Friday, April 24, 2020 at a drive-thru testing site at the Mercy Convenient Care in Bentonville. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)

FAYETTEVILLE -- About 9,700 people in Benton and Washington counties were tested for covid-19 within the past week, according to the Arkansas Department of Health.

A total of 25,600 tests total have been done in Washington County as of 4 p.m. Friday, according to the department. A total of 50,969 tests have been done in Benton County.

About 3,400 were tested in Washington County this past week while tests were conducted on about 6,300 people in Benton County.

Washington County had 5,536 cases, including 612 active cases, according to the department. Benton County had 4,126 cases, including 454 active cases. Active cases are those who aren't recovered.

At least 111 Washington and Benton county residents had died of the virus as of Friday, according to information from the county coroners. Of those who have died, 53 were Springdale residents, 23 were Rogers residents, 11 were Fayetteville residents and seven were Bentonville residents. Elkins, Siloam Springs, Lowell, Bella Vista, Bethel Heights and Gentry each have had fewer than five deaths.

Hospitals in Benton and Washington counties had a total of 67 patients in their covid-19 units as of Thursday, according to a statement from the region's largest health care organizations via Martine Pollard, spokeswoman at Mercy Health System.

Thirty-seven patients were on ventilators. The number includes patients with and without covid-19, according to the statement.

Most testing sites in Northwest Arkansas are prioritizing people who have covid-19 symptoms amid concerns about the availability of testing material, according to a joint statement released July 3 from Arkansas Children's Northwest, Community Clinic, Mercy Northwest Arkansas, Northwest Health, UAMS Northwest, Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks and Washington Regional Medical Center.

Anyone can get tested at the Benton or Washington county health units.

How many specimens Mercy Health System has collected to be tested wasn't available Friday. People who suspect they have covid-19 must call Mercy's call center and be screened and make an appointment before going to Mercy's evaluation site in Bentonville.

Community Clinic, which has four coronavirus screening sites in Northwest Arkansas, has collected 14,879 specimens from people from March 30 through Thursday, according to Abbie Luzius, community development manager for Community Clinic. Patients are encouraged, but not required, to call before coming to a clinic.

The state Health Department began testing May 18 at county health units, including Fayetteville and Rogers. The Washington County unit tested 8,168 people, and the Benton County unit tested 3,540 people as of Thursday, according to Danyelle McNeill, department spokeswoman. The numbers include mass testing events conducted by the clinics.

Washington Regional Health System has collected 12,335 specimens to be tested from people from March 16 through Thursday at its screening clinics, according to Natalie Hardin, spokeswoman. Patients are encouraged, but not required, to call before going to the clinics.

Specimens to be tested for covid-19 are collected via nasal and mouth swabs.

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Screening sites

Covid-19 testing and/or screening is available at the following:

Washington County Health Unit: 3270 Wimberly Drive in Fayetteville. Patients should call (479) 521-8181 to make an appointment.

Benton County Health Unit: 1200 W. Walnut St. Suite 2200 in Rogers. Patients should call (479) 986-1300 to make an appointment.

Walmart/Quest testing site: 7-9 a.m. Thursdays and Fridays at Walmart Neighborhood Market, 1400 N. Walton Blvd. in Bentonville. Patients must schedule an appointment through Quest Diagnostic’s online portal, MyQuestCOVIDTest.com or MyQuest app.

UAMS digital screening: https://uamshealth.…">www.uamshealth.com/…

UAMS hotline: (800) 632-4502

Washington Regional hotline: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, (479) 463-2055

Washington Regional Coronavirus Screening Center: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Sunday at Washington Regional Urgent Care, 3 E. Appleby Road. in Fayetteville

Washington Regional Coronavirus Screening Center: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Sunday at 3318 N. North Hills Blvd. in Fayetteville

Washington Regional Urgent Care: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 1-6 p.m. Sunday at 1301 S. Walton Blvd. in Bentonville

Washington Regional Urgent Care: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday., 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 1-6 p.m. Sunday at 808 U.S. Highway 65 in Harrison

Washington Regional Urgent Care: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 1-6 p.m. Sunday at 2301 W. Pleasant Grove Road, Suite 101 in Rogers

Washington Regional Urgent Care: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 1-6 p.m. Sunday at 3300 W. Sunset Ave. in Springdale

Washington Regional Family Clinic drive-through screening clinic: 8 a.m.-noon Monday through Friday, 146 Passion Play Road, Suite A in Eureka Springs

Arkansas Children’s Hospital hotline for child health: (800) 743-3616

Community Clinic Siloam Springs Medical: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 500 S. Mount Olive St., No. 200 in Siloam Springs

Community Clinic Rogers Medical: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1233 W. Poplar St. in Rogers

Community Clinic Fayetteville Medical: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 162 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Suite 13-14 in Fayetteville

Community Clinic Springdale Medical and Pediatrics: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 614 E. Emma Ave., Suite 300 in Springdale

Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas Family Medicine South: 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 2523 E. Huntsville Road in Fayetteville.

Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas Family Medicine: 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1109 S. West End St. in Springdale. Patients must call (479) 750-3630 to make an appointment.

Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas Family Medicine Har-Ber: 8 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 171 N. Maestri Road in Springdale. Patients must call (479) 361-1020 to make an appointment.

MANA Family Medicine Pinnacle Hills: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 3730 Pinnacle Hills Parkway, Suite 2 in Rogers. Patients must make an appointment by calling (479) 464-5599.

MANA Urgent Care Wedington: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Sunday, 1188 N. Salem Road, Suite 6 in Fayetteville.

Northwest Arkansas Pediatrics: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 3380 N. Futrall Drive in Fayetteville. Patients should call (479) 442-7322 to schedule a telemedicine screening appointment.

Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas online screening: https://www.mana.md…">mana.md/covid-19-screening/

Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas fever hotline: (479) 435-2500

MedExpress Urgent Care: 8 a.m.-8 p.m., 1160 S. 40th St. in Springdale. Patients must call (479) 750-2971 to make an appointment.

Northwest Medical Center: 601 S.W. Regional Airport Blvd. in Bentonville. Patients may call (479) 306-7507.

Northwest Medical Center: 2158 Butterfield Coach Road, Suite 100 in Springdale. Patients may call (479) 306-7507.

Mercy Coronavirus Evaluation Site: Mercy Convenient Care, 3101 S.E. 14th St. in Bentonville. Patients must call (479) 717-7585 beforehand to make an appointment to be screened.

Veterans enrolled in Veterans Affairs health care may call (800) 691-8387.

Alex Golden can be reached by email at agolden@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWAalexgolden.

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