The large-scale free coronavirus testing site at the Pepsi Center is scheduled to shut down in October and is reducing its number of drive-thru lanes starting Sunday.

The announcement comes on the same day Gov. Jared Polis said at a news conference that the number of people getting tested is going down, leading to an uptick in the past week in the state’s positivity rate.

In the last couple of days, sites across the state were testing a total of 5,000-7,000 people per day, when before that they were testing in the 10,000-12,000 per day range, Polis said.

He encouraged Coloradans to get tested at one of the free testing sites across the state, including the Pepsi Center, if they have symptoms or have been exposed to someone who was sick. Early identification is crucial, rather than waiting for hospitalizations, he added.

In late July, public officials were trying to find ways to increase state testing as a national backlog at state labs delayed test results. Earlier that month, the site had to close early and change its limit for tests per day as demand exceeded capacity.

City and County of Denver officials said the city will instead focus on community-based testing sites with the closure of the Pepsi Center location. They recommend Coloradans use those sites or get tested through their primary care doctors.

“The Pepsi Center site provided the broad, regional testing capacity needed early in our response, to stand in the gap to give the city time to build out a community-based testing program,” said Robert McDonald, executive director of the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment, in a statement. “With that accomplished, the city can focus its testing resources where they are most effective, at a community level in highly impacted and underserved neighborhoods.”

Starting Sunday, the lanes for testing at the Pepsi Center will go down from eight to four. People who want to get tested are encouraged to register ahead of time through Sept. 30.

To register or to find other testing sites around the state, go to www.denvergov.org/covid19testing.

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