Free community testing for COVID-19 was held last Friday and Saturday in Gary and Keystone, as part of Gov. Jim Justice’s initiative to increase testing opportunities for minorities and other vulnerable populations.

Monday afternoon, the McDowell County Health Department was pleased to announce that out of the 96 tests given over the weekend, all have come back negative. 39 tests were given in Gary on Friday at the Tug River Health Clinic while 57 were given outside City Hall in Keystone. Of the tested population, 55% were minorities.

The McDowell County Health Department was joined by members of the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs, West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) and the West Virginia National Guard to assist in the endeavor.