Free COVID-19 drive-thru testing site open Tuesday at Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land

SUGAR LAND, Texas – United Memorial Medical Center announced the opening of a free COVID-19 drive-thru testing beginning at the Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land during a news conference Tuesday.

“It’s each one of our responsibilities to make sure we don’t pass this on,” said Sugar Land Mayor Joe Zimmerman.

The Financial Centre parking lot was transformed to accommodate hundreds of expected visitors every weekday.

The site will be open to the public: Tuesday, March 31 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., then the rest of the week and Monday through Friday after that, from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Officials are expecting to test around 250 people a day.

Medical professionals will ask those who want to be tested a series of questions to determine if a test is needed before other medical professionals like Varon administer the test.

“We remind people the elders, senior citizens, need to be tested,” Lee said. “We would ask that you bring your senior citizen, ... if [they] can’t come on their own.”

Varon said relatively few seniors have stopped by the other UMMC drive-thru testing site, in Houston off Tidwell Rd., which concerns him.

However, he said UMMC is working on mobile testing sites that can go test people who may not be able to leave their home.

He said they have already tested a few people using the mobile site, and many have been positive so it is important to get people tested at home if they cannot leave.

Varon also urged people to heed warnings and stay home.

“Stay at home. I cannot say it enough times. Stay at home,” Varon said. “If we do this right, we will control this pandemic. We will survive this. (But) if we don’t stay at home, this will be prolonged more and more and we will have more casualties.”

The UMMC Tidwell testing location also opened a 46-bed COVID-19 Annex dedicated to the care of COVID-19 patients.

“This is not a time to panic but a time to be aware and proactive. I will continue to push for additional funding to help our families, businesses, and non-profits during the next stimulus package in the United States Congress,” the Congresswoman said.

UMMC plans to also start mobile COVID-19 testing efforts as soon as this week to reach seniors who are unable to leave their homes, due to their increased susceptibility to this virus, Lee added.

Fort Bend County Judge KP George said the county has 138 confirmed cases, nine recovered patients and two fatalities.