Maricopa County Library District (MCLD) and Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) have launched a pilot program to offer free BinaxNOW kits at all 18 MCLD libraries. BinaxNOW is a self-administered COVID-19 Antigen Test. The nasal swab test will detect an active COVID-19 infection, with results in 15 minutes.
The two Maricopa County departments have collaborated to launch this program as a part of MCDPH’s continued efforts to create accessible opportunities for COVID-19 testing. MCLD is the only library system in Maricopa County in the first phase of this program. The partnership will serve as a pilot, allowing MCDPH time to determine viability of expanding this program to other library systems in the County.
“We started distributing at-home COVID-19 tests through our school partners, and this is our next step to getting these tests out to the community more broadly,” said Marcy Flanagan, executive director of MCDPH. “These kinds of partnerships help us make testing available when and where people need it, and it helps connect residents to community resources they may not otherwise be familiar with.”
Starting Oct. 20, Maricopa County residents can visit one of the county’s 18 libraries to pick up a BinaxNOW kit. Each customer is limited to two kits (four tests) per interaction. Customers do not need a library card, but will need to provide a ZIP code.
“We know there are many people in our community that may face challenges in purchasing an at-home test kit, or do not have easy access to testing facilities,” said MCLD Director and County Librarian Jeremy Reeder. “We recognized this partnership as an opportunity to do what libraries do best—remove barriers to access and to help our residents experience an improved quality of life.”
The following libraries encourage pickup of the BinaxNOW kits through the library’s curbside service. When arriving, customers should head to the designated curbside parking area and call the number listed on the sign.
·North Valley Regional Library
·Southeast Regional Library (Gilbert)
The safety of staff, customers and the community remain MCLD’s top priority. All staff members are required to wear a face mask and will practice recommended social distancing from other staff members and members of the public.
Full details about the program can be found at https://mcldaz.org/subject/covid-self-test.
