Sonora Quest Laboratories, Arizona’s leading diagnostic laboratory, announced it has joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) program to offer free COVID-19 laboratory testing for uninsured people who are either symptomatic, exposed or at high risk (including immunocompromised or pregnant).

“As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout our communities, the restoration of free COVID PCR testing to uninsured patients is vital to ensure all Arizonans have the answers they need,” Dave Dexter said, president and chief executive officer for Sonora Quest.

The ICATT program for free COVID testing is available to uninsured patients throughout the state, including the Sonora Quest Laboratories Fountain Hills location at 13620 N. Saguaro Blvd, Suite 150, in the Fountain Hills Professional Plaza. Hours are from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Patients with health insurance continue to have access to free COVID PCR testing at Sonora Quest if exposed to COVID or presenting with symptoms.

Uninsured patients can check to see if they qualify for free COVID PCR testing by completing a brief online screening questionnaire.

Patients with symptoms must wear a mask for their appointment. To check eligibility and schedule an appointment, visit sonoraquest.com/covid-testing.

In addition to offering ICATT, Sonora Quest has been working with community health care partners like Equality Health Foundation since the pandemic began to help vulnerable communities across Arizona get fair and equitable access to COVID resources, testing and vaccines.

“Even with COVID out of the headlines, we know that testing continues to be important to determine the best options for treatment and protecting public health,” Tomas Leon said, president of Equality Health Foundation. “We applaud Sonora Quest’s continued purpose-driven leadership and collaboration in this space for Arizona.”

With reports of antigen/at-home COVID testing having a sensitivity as low as 60% and requiring three tests to detect the latest Omicron variants, PCR testing continues to be the gold standard.

“People are using COVID test results to make decisions impacting their lives and those they love. Sonora Quest is constantly looking for community partners like Equality Health, and innovative ways to knock down barriers to health care and ensure all Arizonans have access to high-quality, accurate PCR COVID testing,” Dexter added. “Our opportunity to partner with the CDC and offer the ICATT program allows us to provide underserved populations the answers they need.”