OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - School-aged children in Oakland County will now be able to be tested for COVID-19 for free at the drive-thru testing sites.
The county has expanded its drive-thru testing service to include children 4-17 years old, beginning on August 31.
For a child to be tested, they must have symptoms of coronavirus and be residents of or attend school in Oakland County. Testing is available weekdays by appointment only.
“As the school year begins, we are here to support schools, teachers and families, learning in-person or remotely,” Oakland County Executive David Coulter said. “The availability of testing for symptomatic children is important to isolating and controlling the spread of this disease in our schools and community.”
Parents can begin scheduling an appointment as early as Thursday, August 27.
To schedule an appointment, call the Oakland County Health Division’s Nurse on-call hotline at 800-848-5533. No doctor’s note or prescription is needed plus there is no fee.
The Health Division offers drive-thru testing at the following sites and times:
- Mondays and Wednesdays at the South Oakland Health Center at 27725 Greenfield Road in Southfield
- Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Oakland County government campus, 1200 N. Telegraph Road in Pontiac
- Fridays at Oakland Community College, Orchard Ridge Campus at 28696 Oakland, Farmington Hills
"COVID-19 symptoms are milder in children than in adults, and some infected children may not have obvious signs of being sick,” Oakland County Medical Director Dr. Russell Faust said. “It is very important that parents and guardians trust their instincts and be overly cautious of all health and behavior changes, and keep their child home from school and contact their pediatrician, family care practitioner or our Nurse on Call if their child is even mildly ill.”
The Health Division encourages all residents to monitor their health symptoms carefully, including daily temperature checks, and to stay home when feeling mildly sick, or if feeling the onset of symptoms.