REGIONAL- Free drive-through COVID-19 tests will be available to anyone on the Iron Range at the county fairgrounds in Chisholm on July 28-29.

While the testing is being done in Chisholm, residents from across the Iron Range are welcome and encouraged to be tested, even if they don’t have symptoms of COVID-19. No insurance or identification is needed.

Testing on Tuesday will be from noon to 7 p.m., and Wednesday testing will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the St. Louis County Fairgrounds, 1010 Discovery Drive in Chisholm.

Pre-registration is encouraged by going to https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/teststlouis.html. Drive-ups without an appointment are welcome, but those who have not pre-registered for a specific time slot may have to wait or may be directed to come back later. Anyone who is unable to sign up online, or who needs a translator, can call 1-855-612-0677 for assistance.

Tests will be conducted in a drive-thru manner, so people being tested never have to leave their vehicle. A health care worker will gently insert what looks like a long Q-tip into a person's nose, twirl the swab to get a good sample, then remove it and place it in a vial, which is then sent to a lab for testing. This test is considered less invasive than similar tests conducted elsewhere. Results are expected back in just a few days and will be communicated directly to the person who was tested.

"We are seeing an increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Iron Range communities, and many appear to have been spread through community transmission," said Amy Westbrook, St. Louis County Public Health Division Director. "We encourage everyone to be tested. People may be asymptomatic and not realize they have the virus and could unknowingly spread it to others."