NEWS RELEASE

JEFFERSON PARISH, LOUISIANA

December 27, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JEFFERSON PARISH OPENS ADDITIONAL COVID-19 TESTING SITE

Full list of testing and vaccination sites in Jefferson Parish is updated regularly at COVID.JeffParish.net 

JEFFERSON, LA - Starting Tuesday, December 28, 2021, drive-thru COVID testing will be available for all ages at Johnny Bright Playground (3401 Cleary Ave. Metairie 70002) and Bonnabel Boat Launch (1599 Bonnabel Blvd., Metairie 70005). The testing site at Johnny Bright Playground will now be a three-lane operation with additional staff to accommodate more people; limited staff will be available at the Bonnabel Boat Launch site at this time. Johnny Bright will be open Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m and Bonnabel Boat Launch will be open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Regular drive-thru testing for ages five and older at the Alario Center (2000 Segnette Blvd. Westwego, LA 70094) is also available, in addition to walk-up vaccinations and boosters at this location, every Monday – Saturday from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. 

“In response to the high demand of testing and the recent uptick in cases due to the highly contagious Omicron variant, we are adding an additional drive-thru test site in Jefferson Parish this week, as well as increasing staffing and adjusting the layout at our existing sites located at the Alario Center and Johnny Bright Playground to increase capacity,” said Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng. “As we head into the new year, let’s all work together to fight through this surge with perseverance, awareness and precautions. Please promote vaccines and boosters to your loved ones, make every effort to mask indoors around people who aren’t in your household, and get tested regularly. Anyone who is experiencing COVID symptoms should get tested and quarantine to avoid spreading illness to others.”

Free testing at the Alario Center is operated by the Louisiana National Guard and Quest Diagnostics; no pre-registration is required for this site. To pre-register or view results for testing at Bonnabel Boat Launch and Johnny Bright Playground, visit www.accuref.us. Bonnabel Boat Launch and Johnny Bright Playground are operated by Accu Reference, a private laboratory. This partnership was created during the Delta surge as a way to increase access to testing in Jefferson Parish and will continue throughout the Omicron surge. Accu Reference sites require health insurance information or an ID so the federal government can be billed for those who do not have health insurance. Individuals should understand their health insurance company’s policy regarding co-payments for COVID tests; this may vary depending on symptoms or exposure.

Everyone five and older is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Louisiana (Pfizer is the only COVID-19 vaccine approved for people ages 5-17). All COVID-19 vaccines are free and individuals do not need to provide identification or health insurance information to get vaccinated. The Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have received emergency use authorization from the FDA. They are safe and effective at preventing illness from COVID-19. The Pfizer vaccine has received full FDA approval over the age of 16 and older.

Booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine are available to adults at increased risk, following new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Any individual over 16 who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines at least 6 months ago or the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least 2 months ago is eligible for a booster. The CDC has approved individuals to receive any booster they choose no matter which vaccine they initially received. Individuals ages 16-17 are only eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine and booster. For more information about these vaccines, please visit Different COVID-19 Vaccines | CDC.

Visit COVID.JeffParish.net to stay updated on COVID-19 in Jefferson Parish, including available resources, weekly testing/vaccine sites, local dashboard and more. To find a vaccination site, schedule a homebound vaccination, or for local questions about the vaccines, individuals can also call the Jefferson Parish COVID-19 Hotline at 504-518-4020.

For more information about Jefferson Parish, visit www.JeffParish.net. Residents can also receive regular updates by following the Parish on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@JeffParishGov) or by texting JPALERT or JPNOTICIAS to 888-777.

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Jefferson Parish Public Information Office 1221 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Suite 1002 Jefferson, LA 70123

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Gretchen Hirt Gendron, PIO