Harrisburg, PA - Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine today announced beginning Monday, January 4, regional drive-thru and indoor walk-in testing clinics will be held in Crawford, Dauphin, Lehigh, Somerset and Union counties. The counties with testing sites will change each week over the next eight weeks so that 61 counties will eventually be covered by dedicated pop-up testing sites over a 12-week period.
“Over the past several weeks, we have seen a rapid increase of positive case counts reaching record-high levels, which gives us significant cause for concern,” Dr. Levine said. “In fact, every county now has a positivity-rate greater than five percent, which is alarming. In addition, 18 counties have percent positivity above 20 percent and Perry County has a percent positivity above 30 percent.”
From March through December 30, the department has received 7,421,572 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results which roughly equates to 57.9 percent of the population. From May through December 30, the department has received 685,632 antigen test results. The total number of tests combined equates to 8,107,204, roughly 63.3 percent of the total Pennsylvania population.
The department extended and expanded its initial contract with AMI to perform pop-up testing in counties across the state. Counties under the initial contract, as well as the total number of patients tested, can be found here. The initial AMI testing and the extension were funded by the federal ELC Enhancing Detection grant.
The department believes that increased testing in the counties will assist in determining the prevalence of the virus and assist the county in moving forward. Concerning counties, identified as those with percent positives above five percent, which is currently every county in the state, can be found on the Early Warning Monitoring Dashboard. Each county is being monitored as the state continues to examine all available data.
“We are grateful for our tremendous partnership with AMI and participating county entities to provide pop-up testing in five regions across the commonwealth,” Dr. Levine said. “The AMI testing sites will be open to anyone who feels they need a test. It is important that even people with no symptoms who test positive isolate to stop the spread of COVID-19.”
Beginning Monday, January 4, drive-thru testing clinics will be held to contain the recent rapid increase in COVID-19 cases in the following three counties:
- Crawford;
- Dauphin; and
- Somerset.
Lehigh, in conjunction with the Allentown Health Bureau, and Union counties will also begin Monday, January 4, but will be drive-thru and indoor walk-in clinics.
Testing will be available daily from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM starting Monday, January 4 through Friday, January 8. Please note that Union County testing will run from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM on Wednesday, January 6.
The testing site locations and addresses are:
- Crawford County: Crawford County Fairgrounds, 20939 Hamilton Road, Meadville, PA, 16335 (enter gate #6);
- Dauphin County: Giant Center Parking Lot, 550 Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033;
- Lehigh County: Coca-Cola Park, 1050 IronPigs Way, Allentown, PA, 18109;
- Somerset County: The Georgian Place Parking Lot, 740 Georgian Place, Somerset, PA, 15501; and
- Union County: 4 Bells Church, 13765 Old Turnpike Road, Millmont, PA, 17845 (located between Mifflinburg and Hartleton).
Up to 450 patients 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 to all patients. Testing is also open to individuals that are not county residents. Patients must be ages three and older and are not required to show symptoms of COVID-19 in order to be tested. No appointment is necessary. Patients are encouraged to bring a photo-ID or insurance card. Registration will also be completed on-site. The turnaround time for testing results is two to seven days after testing.
Individuals who are tested should self-quarantine while they await 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.
For the latest information for individuals, families, businesses and schools, visit “Responding to COVID-19” on pa.gov.
The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:
- 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.
- 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: April Hutcheson - RA-DHpressoffice@pa.gov
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