W.O. Walker Building in University Circle

Cleveland Clinic

Drive-through COVID-19 testing, coordinated by the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospital systems, will begin Saturday at 11 a.m. in the garage of the W.O. Walker Building in University Circle.The hospitals announced Friday night that Cleveland Clinic patients with a doctor's note will start being screened Saturday. UH patients with doctors' notes will be added Monday. Thereafter, screenings will take place seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.In a press release, the Cleveland Clinic said that patients without a doctor’s order will not be offered testing at this location, but that people experiencing symptoms should start with a "virtual visit" that the Clinic provides online or call their primary care physician.This advice corresponds with what MetroHealth CEO Dr. Akram Boutros and Cuyahoga County Board of Health Commissioner Terry Allan have said in recent days: The first step, if you're experiencing fever, body aches or other symptoms associated with COVID-19, is to call ahead.In drive-through testing, patients stay in their vehicles as sample are collected. The press release said that all samples would be sent to UH and Cleveland Clinic laboratories where in-house testing for COVID-19 began last week and where results can be generated within a day. As was previously announced, no copays will be charged for the test.***