Soldiers and Airmen with the Vermont National Guard have been operating COVID-19 test sites for the general public since March, but with weather getting colder, they’re moving testing indoors while adhering to public health guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Vermont Department of Health.

The COVID-19 test team offers free testing for the public at the Winooski Armory on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and at the Williston Armory on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., said Army 2nd Lt. Lance Jandreau, the COVID-19 test team leader.

People can register on-site to be tested or pre-register online at https://vermont.force.com/events/s/selfregistration, Jandreau said. Each site has multiple lanes set up for testing.

“The Department of Health is really driving the train for all of these testing missions,” Jandreau said. “Primarily, it’s to capture and hopefully mitigate any risk that comes with people getting sick.”

If someone tests positive for COVID-19, the Vermont Department of Health can reach out to that individual quickly so that the individual who tested positive can go into quarantine, Jandreau said.

As of Nov. 4, the Vermont National Guard has administered nearly 23,000 tests. Jandreau said the tests help the state maintain a proactive posture in its response to COVID-19.  

“Working with this team of people has been a blessing,” he added. “They’re all great, and they all internalize the same meaning, and what this mission is accomplishing for the greater good of the Vermont population.”