HOUSTON — A new mega testing site for COVID-19 is now open in Houston, making it the fifth one to open in the last two weeks.
The newest location is in the parking lot of what was originally Dave & Buster's at 6010 Richmond Avenue.
The site will be open every day in January from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Appointments are not required.
This mega-site joins others in the Houston area to provide up to 1,000 COVID tests a day. The other four mega locations are:
- Delmar Stadium (2020 Magnum Rd.)
- Butler Stadium (13755 S Main St.)
- Minute Maid Park, Lot C (610 St. Emanuel St.)
- Kingwood Community Center (4102 Rustic Woods Dr.)
Those are among many other smaller sites throughout the Houston area and beyond.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Thursday that 11,000 COVID tests were provided Monday at three out of the five mega sites. He hopes that adding the new locations will help the city run 35,000 tests a day.
He also wants people to get their test results back in no more than three days.
"At some sites up to this point, the results may be coming back in four or five days," said Turner. "That's really not acceptable because we want some people to be able to get these results timely enough, so they can isolate or quarantine."
The mayor warned Houstonians again against pop-up testing sites that may not be legitimate.
"At all of the testing sites that we are talking about - those being conducted by the City of Houston, those being conducted in collaboration with our partners - no money is needed," Turner said.
"We're not asking for credit cards. We're not asking for cash or money," he said. "If you go to any site, and they're asking for that type of information, leave those sites and go someplace else."
Also, Turner said the testing sites are available to undocumented immigrants. No one should ask patients about their immigration status.