Great Lakes Bay Health Centers Expanding COVID-19 Testing

GLBHC COVID-19 Testing Site in downtown Saginaw (source: Saginaw Valley State University)

Great Lakes Bay Health Centers said it’s working to expand COVID-19 testing now that the state has updated testing criteria to include people with mild symptoms. GLBHC already has three drive-through COVID-19 test sample collection sites in Saginaw, Bay City and Bad Axe. Testing is available for residents who have COVID symptoms, including milder symptoms that don’t require being hospitalized, as long as testing supplies are available. Symptoms inlcude fever, cough and shortness of breath. If you want to be screened, you should first call your primary care provider, or the hotline phone number to one of the drive-through sites:

Saginaw – David R. Gamez community health center, 501 Lapeer Ave. Saginaw, MI 48607
Monday – Friday 9am–3pm or until supplies run out each day. (989) 293-3492
Huron County – Thumb Area community health center, 876 N Van Dyke Rd. Bad Axe, MI 48413
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10am–12pm or until supplies run out each day. (989) 623-0137
Bay County – Bayside community health center, 3884 Monitor Rd. Bay City, MI 48706
Monday – Friday Noon-4pm or until testing supplies run out each day. (989) 280-0725

GLBHC said the top priority for testing includes essential workers, adults 65 and older and people of all ages with chronic health conditons such as diabetes and heart disease, who also have symptoms.

The state health department also notes that Michigan is seeing alarming racial disparities in COVID-19 cases and deaths, with African Americans consisting of 14 percent of the state’s population, but 33 percent of cases and 40 percent of deaths.