Juneau’s hospital to end COVID-19 testing and treatment services

Bartlett Regional Hospital 2018 12 01
Bartlett Regional Hospital, pictured here on Dec. 1, 2018, is located at 3260 Hospital Drive in Juneau. (Photo by Jeremy Hsieh/KTOO)

Bartlett Regional Hospital will close its COVID-19 monoclonal antibody therapy clinic on Oct. 24. 

The clinic offered treatments to help prevent serious illness in newly infected, high risk COVID-19 patients. In a press release, the hospital cited a decrease in demand.

“For the entire month of September, we only had 8 appointments filled, and we offer around 48 appointments per month,” Bartlett’s community relations director Erin Hardin said. “We used to have regularly filled appointments.”

Bartlett will continue providing a drug called Evusheld, which helps prevent COVID-19 infections for immunocompromised individuals who are fully vaccinated or haven’t received a COVID-19 vaccine for medical reasons if they aren’t already infected with or recently exposed to the virus. 

In mid-November, the hospital is also getting rid of its drive-through COVID testing site. 

COVID-19 PCR testing continues to be available through SEARHC — free for symptomatic patients and $145 for asymptomatic patients — and Juneau Urgent Care, which is also free for symptomatic patients and $275 for asymptomatic patients. 

Free at-home test kits are still available for free at City Hall, the Juneau Public Health Center, public libraries and the police station.

Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the purpose of Evusheld. 

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