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Kansas City Restaurant Workers Can Receive Free COVID-19 Testing

FILE PHOTO: Staff members collect samples during drive-through COVID- 19 testing in the parking lot of Independence Boulevard Christian Church on Gladstone Blvd., in Kansas City Missouri. The testing site, run by Samuel U Rodgers Health Clinic, was part of the Kansas City, Missouri Health Department's efforts to track the illness.
Julie Denesha
FILE PHOTO: Staff members collect samples during drive-through COVID- 19 testing in the parking lot of Independence Boulevard Christian Church on Gladstone Blvd., in Kansas City Missouri. The testing site, run by Samuel U Rodgers Health Clinic, was part of the Kansas City, Missouri Health Department's efforts to track the illness.

Kansas City restaurant workers can receive COVID-19 testing at no cost through the Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department.

The department, joined by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, will host a three-day testing event for Missouri restaurant workers.

“Restaurants are social places. The public comes in, and employees have no idea of their history or their exposure to COVID-19. Others work in close quarters with their co-workers. We wanted to offer this testing first to restaurant employees because of their potential exposure,” said Naser Jouhari, with the Environmental Health Services Division.

Staff will administer up to 2,000 tests from July 13 through July 15 at the Homefield Sports Facility, at 5300 Bannister Rd, Kansas City, Missouri.

The department says restaurant employees who want to get tested must register online for an appointment or call 877-435-8411. Any leftover appointments will be opened to those outside of the industry.

“As restaurants reopen, we also ask staff to follow disease prevention guidelines so employees and patrons stay healthy and so restaurants can remain open,” said Jouhari.

Some Kansas City restaurants have been forced to close their doors in after employees tested positive for COVID-19, like Ragazza and Port Fonda.

Under Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas’ most recent order, masks must be worn inside businesses if six-feet distancing cannot be maintained. Those seated in a restaurant or bar are exempt from wearing a facial covering if adequately distanced from other tables.

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