Coronavirus In Colorado: Denver Drive-Up Testing Moved To Coliseum On Saturday

DENVER (CBS4) - Drive-up testing for coronavirus that was scheduled to take place in Denver on Friday has been postponed due to the weather conditions. The testing will now take place early Saturday afternoon at the Denver Coliseum on Brighton Boulevard near I-70.

"Current weather conditions put both people being tested and laboratory staff at risk," officials from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment wrote in a prepared statement. "Cold temperatures can reduce the effectiveness of personal protective equipment that protect testing staff from being exposed to the virus and passing it on to others."

There was an overwhelming response on Thursday in Denver to the drive-up testing facility in the Lowry area, and the plan for Friday was to operate for only 2 hours. The testing will now take place at the Denver Coliseum on Saturday starting at noon. Only the first 100 to 150 people in line will get tested.

"Because Colorado now has capacity for private labs to conduct testing, CDPHE encourages anyone who is symptomatic or who believes they may have been exposed to COVID-19 to call or email their physician first for guidance, obtain a doctor's order for testing, and request information about private providers where you can get tested. Always call first before reporting to a health care facility for testing," state officials wrote.

The state says the following health care providers all have testing capacity:

- UCHealth
- Kaiser Permanente
- Children's Colorado
- Stride Community Health Center

Late Friday morning Gov. Jared Polis said there are now one death and 77 cases of coronavirus in Colorado.

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