MASON CITY — MercyOne North Iowa opened their remote COVID-19 testing site at the North Iowa Events Center on Wednesday. That drive-through clinic is only available to those people who have been screened and referred and is not open to the general public.

If you have symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever, cough or shortness of breath, you’ll need to call the MercyOne Family Healthline at 641-428-7777 where a nurse will evaluate your situation and determine if you qualify for testing.

MercyOne senior vice president Teresa Mock says the testing is being done to keep people out of the hospital’s emergency room and potentially infecting others.  “Most of the testing will be done at a mobile clinic that will be at the fairgrounds, and then there will also be a second tent where we actually have a mobile unit with a physician and nursing staff and be able to do more expanded testing, which will be in front of the West Campus of MercyOne North Iowa.”

Mock emphasizes that unless you are emergently ill, stay home and do not come to the emergency room, and call the COVID-19 call center at 641-494-3543, 494-3546, or 494-3547 for more information.