University of Utah Health’s “The Wellness Bus” will return to its pre-pandemic activities next week.
The bus is usually used for services that help Utahns prevent chronic illnesses via health screenings, health coaching, nutrition education, and referrals for various health and social services.
Last April, as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to spread around the globe, the Wellness Bus was repurposed to provide mobile testing for the disease. The bus’ staff was able to provide COVID-19 testing services for as many as 200 people per day.
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The bus has been stationed at the Utah State Fairpark for COVID-19 testing since November.
Since the demand for the Wellness Bus' COVID-19 testing services has dropped, and there are many other places that provide COVID-19 testing, the Wellness Bus’ staff decided to get back to their original duties.
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“It’s a bittersweet moment. We've not only been out here helping our community, we built a community amongst ourselves,” said Wellness Bus manager Nancy Ortiz. “It’s been our honor to humbly serve the community in their time of need.”
On Monday, the Wellness Bus will be available for diabetes screenings.