St. Alphonsus announced Wednesday it will be prioritizing local testing for patients based on the greatest medical need and severity of symptoms. The announcement comes after a recent increase in cases and people seeking coronavirus testing, which has stressed national laboratory testing capabilities.
St. Alphonsus has two drive-up assessment sites, one at the Meridian Health Plaza and the other at the Nampa Garrity Road Clinic. Both sites have seen longer lines than normal as the number of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 cases has increased.
Patients without symptoms and those experiencing mild symptoms are asked to consider staying home and practice self-care according to CDC guidelines. If you have significant or severe COVID-19 symptoms or urgent medical care needs, seek care and testing.
People can call St. Alphonsus’ COVID-19 hotline at 208-302-2683 and discuss symptoms with a nurse. Due to a large volume of calls, there may be a delay in speaking with a healthcare professional.
The CDC has identified the following symptoms of COVID-19:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
Officials with St. Alphonsus encourage everyone to continue practicing social distancing, good hand hygiene and to wear a face covering when in public.
