NEW ORLEANS – Odyssey House Louisiana, Inc. (OHL) will offer free, drive-through COVID-19 testing to community members exhibiting symptoms of the virus.
Testing will be offered on weekdays, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at its 2700 S. Broad Street facility.
Committed to meeting the needs of the community, OHL launched its drive-through testing site March 24 and will continue testing as supplies last.
Community members should check OHL’s social media for daily updates as testing supplies are limited (Facebook: @odysseyhouselouisiana /Instagram & Twitter: @odysseyhousela).
The tests are free; however, individuals are encouraged to bring their insurance cards if applicable. Individuals without insurance will still be eligible for testing.
All OHL programming has remained open and accepting intakes through the COVID-19 pandemic. OHL operates a 40-bed medically supported detox, a 144-bed short-term residential inpatient substance use disorder program and a 50-bed long-term intensive outpatient with long-term housing program, among various other social service programs. OHL also operates an onsite Federally Qualified Health Center that has remained open and expanded its services to include telehealth in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
The COVID-19 drive-through testing is another way that OHL has expanded its community support. “This pandemic is placing a tremendous strain on the healthcare system,” says OHL CEO Edward Carlson, “It is critical for community-based programs like OHL to remain open and continue to serve high-risk populations, especially as New Orleans increasingly grows to be an epicenter of this healthcare crisis.”
