Chamber seeking businesses interested in receiving BinaxNow Rapid COVID-19 Test Kits

On Friday, January 22, 2021, Governor Abbott announced a Small Business COVID-19 Rapid Testing Program. The program invited the Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce to participate in the distribution of free BinaxNow rapid COVID-19 tests to small businesses in our community.

The program is part of the Nation’s Coronavirus Testing Strategy and designed to support the continued operation of small businesses in Texas.

The below interest survey results will be presented to our COVID Economic Recovery Task Force and then to the Board of Directors. If the Board of Directors approve at their Tuesday, Feb. 16 meeting, the Chamber will be provided with a select number of BinaxNow test kits which will be distributed to small businesses. Small businesses will have the opportunity to administer these tests to their employees.

Participating businesses are required to follow the program protocols which include:

• Identifying a test coordinator at your location who is responsible for completing a BinaxNow training
• Planning a test location and flow of individuals being tested to ensure proper social distancing
• Reporting every test that is used via program defined reporting application
• Utilizing 70% of test kits
• Creating a process for employees who test positive (ex. CDC Recommendations)
• Setting up test stations in a fashion that limits test subjects’ potential to contaminate the test area
• Obtaining gloves for test administration (not provided) and utilize PPE while administering tests
• Disposing of testing materials in accordance with the defined “medical waste for schools” protocol

Small businesses who are interested must assign a test coordinator and that coordinator must receive training before kits can be administered. 

Please note that indicating an interest in the program does not guarantee receipt of testing kits. Priority will be given to businesses that are located in the Rockport-Fulton area and on a first-come-first-served basis. Membership with the Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce is not required to utilize this program. 

The Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce is providing this program as a service for Texas Department of Emergency Management and is not responsible for the individual execution of the program by the businesses.

We encourage any interested business to view the full program details here: Texas Department of Emergency Management’s Full Program Details

Contact Diane Probst at the Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce for more information.