Mass coronavirus testing available at Libla July 7-9

Mass testing for COVID-19 will be available in Poplar Bluff from July 7-9.

The free, drive-through tests will be performed at the Libla Family Sports Complex and are open to all Missouri residents. People do not need to be showing symptoms to be eligible, and there is no need to present insurance information or have a doctor's order.

Those interested in getting tested for the coronavirus can register online through health.mo.gov/communitytest or by calling the state hotline at (877) 435-8411.

A link to register can also be found through the Butler County Health Department's Facebook page.

"We encourage everyone, it is a great opportunity for those locally," Butler County Emergency Management Director Robbie Myers said. "We are really going to be pushing that between now and then."

The Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services and the Missouri National Guard will be performing the nasal swab tests from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 7, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 8, and from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 9. The Department of Health and Senior Services will notify patients of their results within seven days.

The testing event at the Libla Family Sports Complex will be the seventh such mass testing event in Missouri between June 29 and July 9.

BCHD administrator Emily Goodin said that Butler County has 93 total cases since its first positive test March 31, including nine new cases and one death in the past week.

Since June 1, 56 people in Butler County have tested positive.

Butler County has had a 13.8% increase of the previous seven days while Missouri, which has confirmed 21,927 total cases and 1,017 deaths as of 2 p.m. Wednesday, is experiencing a 9.9% increase in cases. There has now been 129,613 coronavirus related deaths in the United States.

Goodin said BCHD would also be getting its Rapid test machine back Monday, and the health department will be performing additional tests next week.

During an emergency management conference call with are officials, Boys & Girls Club of Poplar Bluff CEO Chris Rushin said the meal program for area kids completed June 30, precisely 100 days after it started.

In cooperation with Chartwells and the Poplar Bluff School District, the program served 476,874 grab-and-go meals to area children.

"It goes to show you what can happen when people put their heads together," Rushin said. "It's amazing how God works."

The program, which provided three meals, per day, per child for those who wanted them, concluded in conjunction with summer school and the Boys & Girls Club after-school programs running from July 6-31.

Students will be able to get free breakfast and lunch at the summer school host sites. Additionally, free fresh produce and milk will be available at Chartwells from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays until Aug. 21, but on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Rushin said this past Friday, there was a long line, and Chartwells was out of supplies in about an hour.