United Way of Acadiana has set up a COVID-19 testing fund to help those who are unable to afford the $50 COVID-19 testing fee implemented at the Cajundome screening facility.
"We are grateful to our donors and partners in our footprint that made this possible," said Carlee Alm-Labar, President and CEO of UWA. "This is an example of the importance of listening to community members in times of disaster, and then filling the needs as they arise, a role that United Way of Acadiana has played in our area for generations."
United Way is able to begin covering the costs of testing Wednesday. In order to continue this work throughout the outbreak, UWA is asking the public to consider making a donation to the fund - you can do so by clicking HERE.
In addition to collecting donations through the COVID-19 fund, UWA is working to coordinate disaster response efforts in collaboration with Acadiana Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. Issues being discussed and addressed include food instability and supplies needed by the elderly.
"This is also a great time to remind everyone that some of the traditional ways we respond in a disaster, quickly and in groups, may not work this time. As United Way of Acadiana, we are committed to responding quickly when the needs arise, but doing so in a way that does not expose members of our communities to any further risk of community spread," explained Alm-Labar.
Those who are screened will be first tested for the flu. If those tests come back negative, then they will be further tested for COVID-19.
The screening itself is free of charge - anyone who passes the screening and is determined to need a COVID-19 test, but does not have insurance, will need to pay a $50 fee. The fee is associated with the private lab that processes the sample collected. According to LCG, the fee will not be collected at the testing site.
Screenings are set to begin Wednesday at the Cajundome from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Read more about the screenings and criteria here.
