Alstom site in Chattanooga to convert from testing site to vaccine site
HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. — UPDATE (March 11, 2021):
In a release, the Hamilton County Health Department made it official: Due to an increase in vaccine supply, it says the Alstom testing site will soon be the county's fourth COVID-19 vaccination site.
The last day folks can get tested there will be this Saturday, March 13th.
The Health Department said Thursday that supply of the vaccine is growing across the county. They say Alstom won't be the only new site where you can access the vaccine.
"This next week, in addition to the Health Department, vaccine will be going to about 20 different providers and many of those are first time shipments, so these are providers who have not had vaccine before," said Health Department Administrator Becky Barnes.
Barnes says they believe there is now adequate testing in the community.
The Health Department urges close contacts to a positive case and those experiencing new symptoms to visit one of the following community partner COVID-19 testing sites:
Cempa Community Care drive-thru COVID-19 Testing at Alleo Health
- 4411 Oakwood Drive
- Chattanooga, TN 37416
- Monday - Friday: 8AM – 1PM
- Sunday: 1-4PM
LifeSpring Community Health drive-thru COVID-19 Testing
- 2507 McCallie Avenue
- Chattanooga, TN 37404
- Monday – Wednesday – Friday from 11AM-1PM
Clinica Medicos drive-thru COVID-19 Testing
- 1300 E 23rd Street
- Chattanooga, TN 37404
- To schedule an appointment, call (423) 206-4530 or visit their website.
Walk-in testing is available without an appointment.
The Health Department began offering free community COVID-19 testing at the Bonnyshire Emissions location on April 3, 2020. Since then, the Health Department has offered free community testing at school sites, churches, emission centers, and alongside various partners in the community.
We will update this story with more details about the Alstom vaccination process at that site as we get it.
Learn more about the latest vaccine appointment schedule here.
Depend on us to keep you informed as we learn more details.
PREVIOUSLY (March 10, 2021):
Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger said there is a decent chance that the current COVID-19 testing site at the old Alstom plant may soon be converted to a mass vaccine site.
Coppinger made the remarks at Wednesday morning's Hamilton County Commission meeting.
Coppinger said that on Tuesday, the Hamilton County Health Department set a record for vaccines administered in a single day, with more than 2,800 shots in the arm, and he says 7,000 more doses are now on the way.
With the boosted doses coming, Coppinger says the county is looking at shifting that Alstom testing site to focus on vaccines in the future.
"We aren't there yet, but if need be, we can switch over the Alstom site to a vaccination site that would give us [a total of] four sites, if we get enough vaccine," Coppinger told Hamilton County Commissioners.
Coppinger says the county is working on a partnership with Blue Cross to help staff such a site.
Right now, testing is available for those who are eligible on Mondays and Tuesdays, as well as Thursdays through Saturdays, open from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. each of those days.
Learn more about the latest vaccine appointment schedule here.
Depend on us to keep you posted on this story as we learn more.
