LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville is expanding its offerings for COVID-19 testing around the city.

The Louisville Department of Public Health and Wellness, local churches, organizations and testing providers are partnering to offer free rapid and PCR tests, according to a news release. But the sites are opening, as positive COVID-19 cases in Jefferson County decline.

Jefferson County's total confirmed cases by week have gone from just over 16,000 cases five weeks ago, to 6,250 total confirmed cases this week, according to the Department of Public Health and Wellness' website.

Since the pandemic started in March 2020, Louisville surpassed 4,000 cases in a week just once, until 2022. The reported case count of 6,250 this week is still the sixth-highest total since the start of the pandemic.

"Even though that has started to plateau and even drop, we're still at a high critical level of incidents," said Connie Mendel, the senior deputy director for Louisville Department of Public Health and Wellness. "So what that basically means is still there's a lot of COVID being passed through the community from person to person."

Two testing sites are being offered in the Shawnee neighborhood: a pop-up clinic at Shawnee Presbyterian Church for two days on Feb. 22 and Feb. 27, and Black Lives Matter on West Broadway, which starts Feb. 21 and is offered during the weekday from noon to 6 p.m.

The Louisville Free Public Library is holding pop-up testing sites at the Russell and Beechmont branches.

A testing site will be held at Newburg Church of Christ on the second and fourth Mondays of each month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. There's also a testing site at Buddha Blessed Temple every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday from 1-3 p.m. until March 30.

"We reviewed where testing was available and in different areas of the community, particularly those where we have higher COVID rates," said Mendel.

"Although the omicron wave appears to have peaked and cases are trending down, Jefferson County still remains in the red with a high incidence rate," Dr. Sarah Moyer, director of Louisville Department of Public Health and Wellness, said in a news release. "Testing continues to be a very important tool in the fight against COVID. If someone discovers they have the virus they can take the proper actions necessary to protect themselves and their community members."

Hours of operations for the testing sites could change due to weather or staffing issues.

Location  AddressDate Time Provider 
 The Hope Buss 101 S. 44th Street Feb. 22, 27 2 - 5 p.m. Coastal Biotech
 Black Lives Matter 3900 West Broadway starting Feb. 21 12-6 p.m., Mon. - Fri. Nomi Health
 Louisville Free Public Library 604 S. 10th Street Feb. 18 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Communities in Health
 Louisville Free Public Library 601 Woodlawn Avenue Feb. 17 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Communities in Health
 Newburg Church of Christ 4700 E. Indian Trail Second and fourth Mondays each month 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Homeland
 Buddha Blessed Temple 7748 3rd Street Road Sun., Wed., Fri. each week 1 - 3 p.m. Communities in Health

These new sites join the already existing Churchill Downs site, along with a few others the city has opened this year. But, the public health department says that still wasn't enough.

"They may be utilizing our public transportation with TARC," said Mendel. "So while Churchill Downs is fairly centrally located, that's a good distance from someone say out on Outer Loop."

Public health experts also wants to encourage people continuing to take up the chance to get tested, even though cases are decreasing.

"We would want someone to get tested to say 'oh well, it's probably just a sinus infection anyways,' because in a lot of these cases, it's not," said Mendel.

For a list of Louisville COVID-19 testing sites, click here.

For the latest on COVID-19 in Louisville, click here.

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