The COVID-19 testing site at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center has reduced operations to five days a week.
The saliva testing site is now closed Mondays and Tuesdays, according to the DECC website. It remains open from noon to 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Jesse Stock, a state of Minnesota spokesperson, told the News Tribune in an email that the change in testing days is, in part, due to lower demand in testing. When the site opened in October, it was open five days a week. Hours expanded in November to keep up with rising testing volumes.
"With that said, the state continues to encourage Minnesotans in the Duluth region to visit the community testing site at the DECC, especially young Minnesotans age 12-25 returning to schools, youth sports, and extracurricular activities," Stock said. "Testing is critical to Minnesota’s COVID-19 response, and the state’s no-cost, barrier-free community sites make it easy for anyone to get a test."
The state of Minnesota and testing company Vault Health partnered to open several testing sites like the one at the DECC around Minnesota.