Ballard COVID testing site has reopened

Meghan Walker Ballard

The Ballard Ave COVID testing site has reopened after closing for just under a month.

The UW Medicine-operated testing site closed in early January due to short staffing and a high number of positive cases.

Along with closing the Ballard and Lake Sammamish State Park testing sites, UW Medicine began limiting operations in January at all Seattle-area testing sites to only allow people with symptoms or a known exposure to test.

Those limited operations—meaning no testing in preparation for surgery, travel, events, or gatherings—are still in effect for all testing sites, including the reopened Ballard and Lake Sammamish State Park sites. The only exceptions are UWMC – Northwest and Harborview, which allow testing in preparation for surgery.

Testing is available on a walk-up basis in Ballard at 5415 Ballard Ave NW from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Appointments are encouraged.

UW Medicine offers the following advice for folks who are seeking a COVID test:

Please use the following guidance on when to seek testing for COVID-19 during times of limited testing availability:

  • If you are having a procedure or surgery: follow your clinic’s directions on if testing is required and when to get tested.
  • If you have COVID-19 symptoms: get tested as soon as you can and stay home until you have the results.
  • If you were exposed to someone who has COVID-19 and do NOT have symptoms: quarantine according to current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and get tested on day 5, if possible. If you are seeking care during your quarantine, contact your clinic prior to your visit.
  • If you do NOT have symptoms and were NOT exposed: you do not need testing; please save tests for those that need it.
  • If you tested positive with a home antigen test: you do not need to be tested with a lab test at a test site to confirm the result; presume that you have COVID-19 and self-isolate according to current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

Photo: The Ballard testing site in Aug. 2021. Photo by Ballard Alliance