Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Health today announced that a long-term indoor walk-in COVID-19 testing site will open to the public in Luzerne County and the current testing site in Centre County will rotate to a new location. These sites are available through a partnership with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare (AMI).
“The virus is still present in our communities, which is evident from the daily count of COVID-19 cases statewide,” Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said. “This reinforces the need for continued testing across the state. We encourage anyone who feels they need or want a test to take advantage of all COVID-19 testing clinics, if they think they have been exposed to COVID-19. Much of the news and attention has shifted to COVID-19 vaccines, but testing is still a critical part of our response to ultimately stop the spread of COVID-19.”
Beginning Monday, May 3 through Friday, May 28, testing will be available daily, Mondays through Fridays from 9 AM to 5 PM at the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport, 100 Terminal Road, Avoca, PA, 18641. Testing will be conducted in the office, located next to the car rental office.
The Centre County site at the Patton Township Municipal Building will close Saturday, May 1. Beginning Tuesday, May 4 through Saturday, May 29, testing will be available daily, Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 AM to 7 PM at the Centre County Recycling & Refuse Authority Interpretive Center, 253 Transfer Road, Bellefonte, PA, 16823. This will be an indoor walk-in site.
Up to 450 people can be tested per day. Mid-nasal passage swab PCR tests will be performed. Testing is on a first-come, first-serve basis and is completely free. No appointment is necessary. Testing is open to individuals who are not county residents. Patients must be ages 3 and older and are not required to show symptoms of COVID-19 in order to be tested. Patients are encouraged to bring a photo-ID. Registration will also be completed on-site. The turnaround time for testing results is one to three days after testing.
The AMI testing site will be open to anyone who feels they need a test. It is important that even people with no symptoms who have tested positive isolate in order to stop the spread of COVID-19.
There are three other AMI COVID-19 testing site currently operating across the commonwealth in, Delaware, Monroe and Northampton counties.
In addition, Pennsylvanians can find testing sites in their area on the locator map here.
Individuals who are tested should self-quarantine while they await their test results. Individuals who live with other people should self-quarantine in a private room and use a private bathroom, if possible. Others living in the home with the individual awaiting test results should also stay at home. The department has additional instructions for individuals waiting for a COVID-19 test result. Individuals who test positive will receive a phone call from AMI while individuals who test negative will receive a secured-PDF emailed to them from AMI.
The department believes that increased testing in counties will help determine the prevalence of the virus and assist the county in moving forward. There are currently 61 counties in the commonwealth where the percent of positive cases is above 5 percent on the Early Warning Monitoring Dashboard. Each county is being monitored as the state continues to examine all available data.
The department has contracted with AMI to perform pop-up COVID-19 testing in counties across the state since September 2020. The contracts were funded by the federal Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) Enhancing Detection grant. Counties under the initial contract, as well as the total number of patients tested, can be found here. Counties served under the first contract extension, as well as the total number of patients tested, can be found here.
From March 2020 through April 29, 2021, the department has received 13,039,712 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results. From May 2020 through April 29, 2021, the department has received 2,953,758 antigen test results. The total combined number of tests reported to the department is 15,993,470 since COVID-19 testing began in the commonwealth. The number of Pennsylvanians who have been tested by PCR or antigen tests is 5,867,968, which roughly equates to 45.8 percent of the Pennsylvania population. Some people have been tested more than once.
Counties in need of a long-term COVID-19 testing site should contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health to discuss the possibility of setting up a pop-up site through AMI.
For the latest information for individuals, families, businesses and schools, visit “Responding to COVID-19” on pa.gov.
While vaccine supply from the federal government remains limited, the Department of Health is working to ensure the vaccine is provided in a way that is ethical, equitable and efficient. To keep Pennsylvanians informed about vaccination efforts:
The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:
- Get vaccinated with one of the three safe and effective vaccines available to provide the best layer of protection.
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
- Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
- Clean surfaces frequently.
- Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
- If you must go out, you are required to wear a mask when in a business or where it is difficult to maintain proper social distancing. Fully vaccinated people are allowed to participate in some activities without a mask.
- Download the COVID Alert PA app and make your phone part of the fight. The free app can be found in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store by searching for “covid alert pa”.
Updated Coronavirus Links: Press Releases, State Lab Photos, Graphics
MEDIA CONTACT: Barry Ciccocioppo, ra-dhpressoffice@pa.gov
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