KALAMAZOO, MI -- A COVID-19 testing site will be set up at the Kalamazoo Health and Community Services Department, county officials announced Tuesday, April 7.

The site will be set up Wednesday, April 8 in the parking lot of the county health department on 311 E Alcott St. The site will be by appointment only through a clinician’s recommendation.

Kalamazoo County Health Officer Jim Rutherford stressed that this testing site is not a drive-through as patients have seen in other parts of the country. Appointments cannot be made by calling the county health department.

At the collection site patients will not leave their vehicle for specimen collection. The patient will be verified through proof of ID and appointment records. Law enforcement will be present at the collection site for security purposes only, according to a press release.

The collection site is a collaborative effort with the Region 5 Medical Coalition and Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine.

Clinical staff from WMed Health will collect the specimen and it will be tested at the state lab.

Due to limited supplies, testing is still determined based on priority one and two as outlined by the state health department.

“I think it’s important just to remind the community that this is a limited supply that we have available,” Rutherford said. “We haven’t gotten any guarantees that it’ll be replenished over time so we’re taking advantage of the supply that we have. It’s not a significant supply, but it gives us the ability to have this this type of additional testing.”

Testing is prioritized into two categories due to the shortage of tests, equipment, protective gear and laboratory ability, Kalamazoo County Medical Director William Nettleton said.

First priority patients are hospitalized patients and healthcare workers, which follows the guidelines laid out by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The second priority are patients in long-term care facilities with symptoms, patients 65 years of age and older with symptoms, patients with underlying conditions with symptoms and first responders with symptoms.

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Kalamazoo nurses concerned about reassignment to Detroit, a COVID-19 hotspot

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PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops ) and when you go into places like stores.

It’s not too late to get your flu shot! While the influenza vaccine does not protect against COVID-19 infection, it can help keep you healthy during the flu season.

MORE MICHIGAN CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE HERE.

Below is a county-by-county map of Michigan tracking confirmed COVID-19 cases, followed by a map of possible exposure sites and a chart based on the state’s daily reports. The maps will be updated as more reports are released.

If you are reading this story on mobile and can’t see the map, click here to view it on the web.

Reported coronavirus cases: