RIDGEWAY, Va. – Drive-through testing for the coronavirus is now an option for some Southside residents.

The pilot program was launched Wednesday at the Martinsville Speedway as masked medical personnel briefed the public on the initiative, which was made possible by a $300,000 grant from The Harvest Foundation.

Harvest Foundation President Allison Rothrock says the idea is to consolidate services and to offer a centralized, accessible testing site for COVID-19. “We hope we can bring all those that need to be tested to one site instead of of them going to multiple physicians (and) places of business, we’ll have everybody here,” she said.

While the public wasn’t allowed at the event, 15 people had been tested by late Wednesday. Officials were on hand to explain the process before testing began. A tent is set up and vehicles drive up to the staging area where patients are swabbed.

West Piedmont Health District spokeswoman Nancy Bell said the drive-through will reopen Friday and be open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 4 p.m. She said those hours are subject to change and that the testing may be moved to appointments, if needed.

The testing is available to prescreened patients from the city of Martinsville and from Henry and Patrick counties.