Where to get COVID-19 testing during holidays on Kaua‘i

LIHU‘E — With the holiday season closing in, several COVID-19 testing options will be closed.

The Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall testing center and the mobile testing van will be closed on Christmas Eve, Friday, Dec. 24, Christmas Day, Dec. 25, New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, and New Year’s Day, Jan. 1.

Lihu‘e Pharmacy is open for testing on Dec. 24 and Dec 31 by appointment only, and closed on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.

“Getting tested before getting together with family and friends is a good way to reduce the likelihood of spreading COVID-19, along with being vaccinated and getting a booster, wearing masks when you’re indoors, and staying home if you feel sick at all,” said state Department of Health Kaua‘i District Health Officer Dr. Janet Berreman.

Free testing centers will be closed on Christmas Eve, DOH Deputy District Health Officer Lauren Guest said.

“Options will be limited, so please get your test by (Thursday) Dec. 23 and we’ll send you your results the same day,” Guest said.

“A big mahalo to the staff at our testing centers after a long year as they enjoy the holidays with their ‘ohana. The clinics will reopen next week.”

The Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall is open today through Thursday, Dec. 23, and Monday through Thursday, Dec. 27 to 30, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The clinic will resume the regular weekday schedule beginning Jan. 3, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Arrive anytime the clinic is open, and you will receive a ticket with a time to return for your free test.

No appointment or doctor’s order is necessary. Results are provided the same day.

The free mobile testing van clinic normally held in Kalaheo on Fridays will be closed on Dec. 24 and Dec. 31, returning Jan. 7.

The clinic normally held in Hanalei on Saturdays is closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, reopening Jan. 8.

The mobile van is open through the holiday season for free same-day testing Wednesdays, Dec. 22 and Dec. 29 at the Kekaha Neighborhood Center; Thursdays, Dec. 23 and Dec. 30 at the Kilauea Neighborhood Center; and Sundays, Dec. 26 and Jan. 2, at the Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Complex in Kapa‘a.

These are all open for walk-in testing from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Lihu‘e Pharmacy is open for free, drive-up testing, by appointment only, through Friday.

It will be closed Dec. 25 and reopen Sunday, Dec. 26 through Friday, Dec 31. It will be closed Saturday, Jan. 1, and reopen seven days a week the next day. To make an appointment, visit alohaclear.com.

Wilcox Medical Center’s drive-up testing will be closed Dec. 24 and Dec. 31.

It is closed on weekends. Normal hours are Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information, visit hawaiipacifichealth.org/wilcox/patient-visitors/covid-19-services-kauai/.

Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital’s drive-up testing in Waimea will be closed Dec. 24 and Dec. 31. It is closed on weekends. Normal hours are Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to noon. Enter the Emergency Department driveway located off Waimea Canyon Road to access the drive-thru. For more information, visit kauai.hhsc.org/wp-content/uploads/PSA-WEBSITE-COVID-UPDATE-10.13.20.pdf.

For a full list of testing options, visit Kauai.gov/COVIDtest.

Anyone testing positive should isolate immediately and notify all close contacts with the past 14 days. Don’t wait for the DOH to call. When the contact tracers call, please answer or get back to them right away.
Source: The Garden Island