Free COVID testing on hold Friday during food distribution effort

Published

Free mobile COVID-19 testing will remain in place through Sunday, Aug. 2 at Cajun Field, except on Friday, July 31.

A food distribution effort will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday at Cajun Field.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette will collaborate with Second Harvest Food Bank and United Way of Acadiana to coordinate distribution. It will be the fifth such effort held at Cajun Field during the pandemic. Organizers anticipate having enough food for between 1,000 and 1,300 families.

The free COVID-19 testing site being coordinated by UL Lafayette and the Louisiana Department of Health will resume on Saturday, Aug. 1, and continue through Sunday, Aug. 2.

Drive-thru tests will be available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days.

  •     No ID is needed for testing, but registration is required.
  •     Pre-registration can be completed at www.DoINeedaCOVID19test.com. Under test locations, click “Louisiana” then Cajun Field (Mobile #3).
  •     People will be allowed to register at the site, but can expect longer waits.
  •     Testing will be available for any Louisiana resident who is at least 5 years old. Guardians must accompany anyone under 16.
  •     People must provide a phone number and email address to be tested.

People who visit the site should wear masks. Those being tested will perform nasal swabs on themselves as they wait in their vehicles. The process will be observed to ensure it is done correctly. Sealed samples will be dropped in a container.

  •     Results will be emailed, and posted online at  www.DoINeedaCOVID19test.com.
  •     It is expected to take three to five days to get test results.
  •     People who test positive will also be contacted by phone. There is no phone number for people to call to get their results.

Motorists should enter the Cajun Field parking lot via West Congress Street through Gate 3. Only right turns into the lot by motorists approaching from the west will be allowed for traffic safety considerations. Once testing is complete, they will exit on Reinhardt Drive onto Bertrand Drive through Gate 1.

For more information about COVID-19 testing, contact the LDH Region 4 Office of Public Health at (337) 262-5311.

Graphic credit: University of Louisiana at Lafayette