Gallatin County Opens Free COVID-19 Surge Testing Site

Through a partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided resources for Gallatin County to set up a free COVID-19 testing site during our case surge.

Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) Surge Site program helps to provide more access to testing in locations seeing COVID-19 case surges throughout the U.S.

Gallatin County submitted an application in mid-January and the ICATT surge site was approved on January 24, 2022. A federal contractor, eTruNorth, will be running the site, along with site management support from Gallatin County Emergency Management. As a surge site, the program will be available for a period of 21 days to support free, community-wide testing.

The surge site will be located at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds, 901 N Black Ave, Building 4 in Bozeman and will start this Wednesday, February 2 at 11 a.m. Starting February 3, the surge testing site will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven (7) days a week. Before you get tested, you must pre-register at doineedacovid19test.com, once you register you can select an appointment time for a lab-based, observed self-collection PCR test. Children and adults must have their own account in their own name to obtain a test result. Please be sure to remember the username and password for each account you create as you will need these credentials to obtain your test results. Insurance information is not required and your test results will be available by email. If you do not have access to a computer, the internet, or need assistance with registration please call eTruNorth’s toll-free number at 1-800-635-8611 to register for an appointment. Scheduling is preferred, however onsite staff can help with registration.

Please wear a well-fitted mask when entering the building. Symptomatic and close contacts are welcome, however, this site is not recommended for travel testing due to the expected turnaround time. This is an observed self-collection PCR test site. Results are typically expected within 48 to 72 hours. You will be notified via email when your results are ready, follow directions to log on and view or print your results. Results will be reported to state and local public health. Individuals who test positive should isolate and seek follow-up care as needed from a healthcare provider.

If you are showing symptoms of COVID-19, be sure to get tested so you can minimize the spread to others. There are many locations throughout Gallatin County where you can get tested on-site, or where you can pick up an at-home antigen test kit. Please be sure to visit the testing page on our website for more details.

Testing is just one measure you can take to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Be sure to get your COVID-19 vaccine and booster dose if you are eligible. Wearing a well-fitted mask and maintaining physical distance from others also continue to be highly recommended COVID-19 mitigation strategies.

The Gallatin City-County Health Department Call Center is open five days a week, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to answer questions about COVID-19. Any calls received after business hours will be returned the following business day. You can reach the Call Center by phone at 406-548-0123. The most accurate local source of information remains the GCCHD website.