-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
CVS Pharmacy, 2029 Fifth Ave. S., has opened drive-thru COVID testing. The test is a no-cost self-swab test.

CVS Pharmacy in Fort Dodge has joined the list of organizations providing COVID-19 testing in Webster County.

The company announced Wednesday that its store at 2029 Fifth Ave. S. will provide drive-up testing for free.

A self-swab test will be available there for individuals meeting the criteria of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the company announced.

The tests wlll be funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

People seeking tests must register in advance at CVS.com to schedule an appointment. They will be required to stay in their cars and will be directed to the pharmacy drive-thru window where they will be provided with a test kit and given instructions. A CVS Pharmacy team member will observe the self-swab process to ensure it is done properly.

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
No-cost self-swab COVID-19 testing is now available in the drive-thru at CVS Pharmacy, 2029 Fifth Ave. S.

Tests will be sent to an independent, third-party lab for processing and the results will be available in approximately one to two days.

In Webster County, COVID-19 testing is also available at:

• UnityPoint Health family medicine and pediatric clinics

• Community Health Center of Fort Dodge

• Hy-Vee Pharmacy

• Iowa Specialty Clinic

UnityPoint Health and Community Health Center offer tests that provide results in about 15 minutes.

Hy-Vee Phamacy offers rapid antibody testing.

Webster County COVID statistics reported

Over the last seven days there have been 122 positive COVID-19 cases reported in Webster County, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

That’s up from the 98 positive cases reported by the state agency in the previous seven day period.

The Department of Public Health reported that in the most recent seven day period, 10 percent of the tests administered were positive.

Most of those cases continue to be in children, according to the department’s statistics. Those statistics show that 38 percent of the positive cases were in people age 17 and younger.

Since the pandemic began, there have been 6,485 COVID-19 cases in Webster County.

The Iowa Department of Public Health reported that there have been 102 deaths in the county due to COVID-19.

The state statistics show that 59.8 percent of the county residents who are eligible for a vaccine have been vaccinated.