Starting next Wednesday, May 20th, Galveston County and the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) will be offering free COVID-19 testing for Galveston County residents.
Testing will be by appointment only and free to the public at three different sites in Galveston, League City and Texas City. County residents may schedule an appointment by calling 832-632-6731. A government issued form of identification will be required at the time of testing to verify residency.
Earlier this month, the Galveston County Health District (GCHD) ended their free drive thru COVID-19 mass testing operations. Galveston County began working with UTMB on possible testing options last week to continue offering free testing for the public.
“We believe there is still a need for readily available COVID-19 testing and are thankful to be working with UTMB to stand up additional testing resources. We are able to offer free testing to county residents, thanks to our collaboration with UTMB and federal funding the county is receiving from the recent Congressional CARES Act.” said Galveston County Judge Mark Henry.
“Testing for the virus is critical to keeping our communities in Galveston County safe,” said UTMB President Ad Interim Ben G. Raimer, MD. “We are very pleased to partner with the County on this initiative.”
As of May 14, 2020, over 23,000 residents in Galveston County have been tested totaling over 7% of the county’s population.