Governor Walz Announces Increased Testing Capacity in the Twin Cities Metro
Anoka community testing site to open Friday; Cottage Grove community testing site to open January 13
Saint Paul testing capacity to increase by 50% following Minnesota National Guard deployment
Governor Tim Walz today announced the state’s new COVID-19 community testing site in Anoka, operated by the Minnesota National Guard and Minnesota Department of Health, will open on Friday, January 7.
Additionally, effective immediately, the community testing site in Saint Paul will have 50% more capacity after Governor Walz deployed the National Guard to support operations at the site.
“Minnesotans deserve access to COVID-19 testing. As we confront the highly contagious Omicron variant, we’re working to make sure testing is as accessible as possible,” said Governor Walz. “Getting tested is a critical tool in our fight against COVID-19. To protect yourself and others, get vaccinated, get boosted, wear a mask – and if you feel sick, please get tested.”
“Community testing sites are important component of our COVID-19 response,” said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan “We know how important these testing locations are to Minnesotans, and we’re working hard to expanding our testing network to make sure more Minnesotans can access these resources.”
Appointments are recommended at all community testing sites across Minnesota, and they are available on the Minnesota COVID-19 Response webpage.
In addition to the community testing sites, Minnesota has nearly 500 providers offering COVID-19 tests, and Minnesotans can find a site close to them using the Find Testing Locations map.
Anoka to begin testing tomorrow; Cottage Grove begins next week
The Anoka community testing site will open on Friday, January 7 at 408 East Main St Anoka, MN 55303.
Initially, the site will be open for appointments and walk-ins from 11 am to 6 pm on Friday, January 7 and Saturday, January 8. Beginning Thursday, January 13, it will operate Thursday through Monday, 11 am to 6 pm. The site can accommodate 800 Minnesotans per day.
Testing in Cottage Grove will open Thursday January 13 at 8180 Belden Blvd, Cottage Grove, MN 55016. It will be open Thursday through Monday, 11 am to 6 pm, accepting up to 1,000 Minnesotans per day.
Both sites will offer saliva PCR testing.
Expanded capacity in Saint Paul
Beginning today, the community testing site at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in Saint Paul will have 50% more testing capacity after Governor Walz instructed the National Guard to support testing operations there.
The Saint Paul testing site will increase capacity from 2,000 tests per day to 3,000 tests per day. The site offers both saliva PCR and rapid antigen testing.