Novant Health Inc. is consolidating its Triad COVID-19 testing centers into the former Sears Auto Center at Hanes Mall.
The center at 190 Hanes Mall Circle will handle testing for COVID-19 starting Monday. The hours will be 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and screenings will be available without a referral or appointment.The center will not be open on the weekend.
The not-for-profit healthcare system is closing the following Winston-Salem centers Thursday: 620 Burton St. NW, 600 Highland Oaks Drive; and 656 E. Monmouth St.. It is also closing the center at 903 Randolph St. in Thomasville.
The East Winston screening center on Highland Avenue will remain open.
Screenings will continue to be available at other Novant clinic locations, as well as the following Novant/GoHealth Urgent Care locations: 105 Hanes Square Circle in Winston-Salem, 794 S. Main St. in Kernersville; and 1122 Randolph St. in Thomasville. Those centers are open on weekends.
Since opening the centers in March, Novant said it has served more than 75,000 people. The majority of those receiving care at these locations are traveling from outside the ZIP code where the screening centers are located.
Novant said it chose the former Sears Auto Center site because it is accessible by public transportation, it can accommodate more patients and offer extended hours of service. Spanish interpreter will be available.
The re-purposing of the Sears Auto Center is the first public use of the Sears properties since the real-estate arm of Novant bought that building and the department store building for $14.5 million in October 2018.
The purchase included the 175,000-square-foot store, the outparcel automotive store and the parking lots to the north and east of the mall stores — altogether 16.72 acres.
Until Tuesday’s announcement, Novant had been silent about its plans for the Sears space except for placing signage at the indoor entrances.