Capitol COVID-19 testing sites to close

COVID-19 testing sites in the Capitol complex will close at the end of May, the Office of the Attending Physician told congressional offices in a notice on Thursday.

“Limited” COVID-19 tests may still be made available for those “testing for events in support of official duties or travel,” according to the notice obtained by The Hill.

The same-day, walk-in PCR testing sites for congressional staff, lawmakers and press were implemented in the Capitol in November 2020. Two testing sites, one in the Rayburn House Office Building and one in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, will be “discontinued” after May 31.

“Individuals or offices desiring to continue a surveillance testing program may seek out home testing kit options widely available in the community,” the notice said.

The closures mark one of the final changes for the Capitol’s return to pre-pandemic procedures, coming shortly after President Biden signed a Republican-led bill to end the COVID-19 national emergency earlier this month. The national emergency and public health emergency declarations end on May 11.

Public access to Congress fully opened up at the start of this year after Republicans took power in the House, fulfilling a longtime GOP pledge. Pandemic-era proxy voting has also ended in the House.

An Axios/Ipsos poll conducted earlier this month found that less than 10 percent of American adults view the coronavirus pandemic as a “serious problem” in the U.S.

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