(Photo: The French Market looking towards Ursulines Avenue. | Infrogmation | CC Flickr)
Free self-administered oral swab COVID-19 tests will be available at the French Market on Wednesday, Nov. 18.
Tests will be available via walk-up at 1235 N. Peters St. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Testing is available to all ages, and an ID and insurance are not required.
Officials ask that individuals not eat, drink or smoke anything for at least 30 minutes before testing.
The test is quick and considered “painless,” compared to other tests, and results are available in three to five business days.
Anyone with questions regarding testing is asked to call 504-206-6275. For more information, visit ready.nola.gov.
Saliva-based tests were shown to be anywhere between 80% to 99% accurate, according to a study published by Front Med in August.
The tests are sponsored by Community Organized Relief Effort, or CORE, which works with 504HealthNet to provide community health care. CORE was founded by actor Sean Penn following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Both organizations are nonprofits.
More than 208,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus have been reported in Louisiana, with an increase of 2,626 on Tuesday; and 14,711 cases were reported in Orleans Parish, with an increase of 118 Tuesday, according to the Department of Health.