Mayo Clinic extends hours of operation at all COVID-19 testing locations in southeastern Minnesota

Due to a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases and demand for COVID-19 tests, Mayo Clinic recently extended the hours of operation at all COVID-19 testing locations across Southeast Minnesota.  KAUS News spoke with Dr. William Morice, Ph.D and President of Mayo Clinic Laboratories, who talked about the current state of testing for the virus in not only Minnesota, but around the country, and he stated that he thinks there is currently sufficient capacity to meet the country’s testing needs, but he added that they will have to look forward into the rest of 2020 and into 2021 to provide both in-lab and point-of-care testing to manage the pandemic…

Morice went on to talk about the large increase in COVID-19 testing capacity at Mayo, but he added that case positivity rates have risen sharply as of late in areas of southern Minnesota outside of Rochester…

These testing locations around southeastern Minnesota are open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and they include in Austin at 510 2nd St. NW, in Albert Lea at the East Annex at 210 St. Mary Avenue, in Owatonna at the Southview Building at 134 Southview St., and in Rochester at 3033 41st Street NW.  

People seeking testing should call their primary care provider, or the Mayo Clinic COVID-19 Nurse Line at 507-293-9525, to determine if they need to be tested and where to proceed to be tested. People should not go to a COVID-19 testing location without an appointment.

Once patients arrive at the testing site, they will remain in their vehicle and check in for their appointment by phone. When they can be seen, patients will receive a text message or phone call, and proceed into the building to their room. This is where swabbing will take place.