COVID testing site in works near Aspen City Hall, should open in about a week

A free COVID-19 testing kiosk that won’t require a doctor’s prescription may be up and running in the alley behind Aspen City Hall in the next week-to-10-days, an official said Wednesday.

Pitkin County has received 8,000 COVID-19 tests from the state and is working on obtaining a kiosk or trailer that will sit behind City Hall until the end of December, he said. It will offer testing seven-days-a-week, with results coming in about 48 hours, Pitkin County manager Jon Peacock said.

In addition, the county is looking at contracting with a non-profit called Colorado Covid Check to operate the testing spot past Dec. 30, he said.

That site plus another at Mountain Family Health in Basalt plus a third during high season in Snowmass Village will cost between $800,000 and $850,000.

The plan for the new testing center in Aspen was brought up last month to the county commissioners.