California Avenue Walgreens to be COVID-19 testing site

The Louisiana Department of Health and Walgreens are entering into a new COVID-19 testing partnership to increase the number of sites providing testing by appointment, including here in Ruston.

Ruston’s site will be the Walgreens located at 108 W. California Ave.

Partnering with Walgreens allows the state to move to a more sustainable model while Louisiana also continues utilizing the Louisiana National Guard (LANG) for high-volume testing sites.

The Walgreens sites more than double the available 7-days-a-week testing locations while also reducing costs to the state by removing the need for staffing, equipment and other overhead costs.

Those being tested will need to bring personal identification and insurance information if they have it to their appointment. There is no cost to the patient and they will not be billed if their insurance denies coverage. Results are available within 72 hours of test collection. Those who have been tested will receive an email if negative, or an email and a phone call if positive.