The Church of the Highlands, a non-denominational multisite church that boasts the second-largest congregation in the U.S., is partnering with state officials to provide coronavirus testing at its Grandview campus. Due to the scarcity of resources, the tests will be restricted to people who are displaying symptoms or have had direct contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
The church will be able to administer 500 tests a day, and the results will become available within 72 hours. The test is administered via a brief nasal swab, and all persons are being asked to remain their cars for their health and safety, according to a joint press release from the Christ Health Center and Church of the Highlands. The church’s testing site will be open from 10 am to 2 pm daily. You can find more details on the website.
Anyone who takes the test will be billed via an insurance provider but the Church of the Highlands is setting up a fund for those who don’t have health insurance so that “no one will be turned away for inability to pay.”
Church of the Highlands pastor Chris Hodges preached to an empty auditorium last Sunday, but his sermon was livestreamed for the congregation at home. According to the Christian Post, Hodges said urged the church to think of others and encouraged them towards hope. “Our city needs us right now,” Hodges said. “The people around us need us right now and people are discouraged. They think the sky is falling. This is serious, make no mistake about it. This is a global pandemic. It’s a serious issue. We are going to survive this. I know we are.”
As of the Center for Disease Control’s most recent report, the U.S. currently has 4,226 confirmed cases of COVID-19, though that number is expected to climb sharply as testing becomes more widely available. As of Tuesday evening, 75 people have died.