Montana State University will begin offering free drive-through and walk-through COVID-19 testing at a facility near Bobcat Stadium for students who are showing symptoms of the virus. The site opens today at noon.

The MSU Symptomatic Student Testing Center is located near the stadium's northeast corner and is accessed from South Seventh Avenue. Free testing at the site is available only to students who have COVID-19 symptoms. No referral or appointment is needed.  

The new testing site is in addition to testing already available by appointment at MSU’s University Health Partners in the Swingle Health Center on campus. Students can call 406-994-2311 for an appointment at UHP.

"The MSU Symptomatic Student Testing Center is designed to provide convenient and safe testing for symptomatic students," said Sam Mitchell, director of medical services at MSU's University Health Partners.

Mitchell reiterated that the stadium testing site is only for students with COVID-19 symptoms. Those without symptoms should not come to the site. At this time, the state of Montana does not have the testing capacity to process widespread tests of asymptomatic people, and the priority is on testing those with symptoms, he said.

"The safety and health of MSU’s students is our priority," said MSU President Waded Cruzado. "This easy-to-use, drive-through and walk-through sample collection gives us yet another advantage as we work together as a Bobcat community to slow the spread of this virus.”

The MSU Symptomatic Student Testing Center is possible due to $20 million in federal CARES Act funding that Montana Gov. Steve Bullock provided to the Montana University System on Aug. 6. MSU will receive approximately $6.5 million of that funding and, in addition to the MSU Symptomatic Student Center, will hire contact tracers and case managers who will work cooperatively with the Gallatin City-County Health Department to help students.