Harrisburg, PA - The Department of Health today announced that free outdoor drive-up COVID-19 testing sites are open for the public in Berks, Centre, Clinton, Jefferson, Luzerne and McKean Counties.
“The fight against COVID-19 is not over as highly contagious variants continue spreading,” Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said. “Testing is the best way to identify and help stop the spread of the virus. We continue to work with partners across the state ensuring the consistent accessibility of COVID-19 testing.”
The sites are available through a partnership with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare (AMI).
“We encourage anyone who feels they need or wants a test, especially if they think they have been exposed to COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms, to take advantage of the free COVID-19 testing closest to them. This includes fully vaccinated individuals who are experiencing symptoms,” Beam said.
Berks County
Testing is available Tuesday through Saturday from Dec. 14 - 22. Tuesday through Friday, testing is available from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday testing is available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will also be testing Monday, Dec. 20 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The testing location is the parking lot of Direct Link Technologies, 2561 Bernville Road, Reading, PA, 19605. Note, enter the parking lot from Van Reed Road.
Centre County
Testing is available Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will also be testing Monday, Dec. 20 and Monday, Dec. 27 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Note, due to the Christmas holiday, testing will run through Dec. 22 and then resume on Dec 27 through Dec 29 at Nittany Mall, former Sears Auto Center, 183 Shiloh Road, State College, PA, 16801.
Clinton County
Walk-up testing is available Tuesday through Saturday from Dec. 14 - 29. Tuesday through Friday, testing is available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday testing from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will also be testing Monday, Dec. 20 and Monday, Dec. 27 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Note, due to the Christmas holiday, testing will run through Dec. 22 and then resume the Tuesday through Saturday schedule on Dec. 28. The testing location is the Lock Haven University East Campus Gymnasium (former Lock Haven High School Gymnasium), 340 West Main Street, Lock Haven, PA, 17745.
Jefferson County
Testing is available Monday through Friday from Dec. 13 - 22 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania campus, Building 1012 Winslow Street, Punxsutawney, PA, 15767. This is a walk-in testing site; entrance on the side parking lot. Note, the site will be close at 4 p.m. on Dec. 17.
Luzerne County
Testing is available Monday through Friday from Dec. 13 – 22 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at the South Main Plaza, 400 South Main Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA, 18701.
McKean County
Testing is available Tuesday through Saturday from Dec. 14 – 17. from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Dec.. 20 - 22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Lewis Run Armory-Readiness Center, 119 Airport Road, Lewis Run, PA, 16738.
In addition, Pennsylvanians can find testing sites in their area on the locator map here. Counties in need of a COVID-19 testing site should contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health to discuss the possibility of setting up a pop-up testing site.
The testing sites are open to anyone who feels they need a test. It is important that even people with no symptoms who have tested positive isolate to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Up to 450 people can be tested per day at each site. 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 from any county who are ages 3 and older. Individuals do not need to be experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 to be tested.
Patients are encouraged to bring a photo-ID, but ID is not required to be tested. Registration will also be completed on-site.
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 from AMI.
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 Dec. 9, 2021, the department has received 20,378,334 PCR test results. From May 2020 through Dec. 9, 2021, the department has received 6,692,069 antigen test results. The total combined number of tests reported to the department is 27,070,403 since COVID-19 testing began in the commonwealth. The number of Pennsylvanians who have been tested by PCR or antigen tests is 8,357,292 which roughly equates to 65.3 percent of the Pennsylvania population. Some people have been tested more than once.
For the latest information for individuals, families, businesses and schools, visit “Responding to COVID-19” on pa.gov.
The Department of Health is working to ensure the vaccine is provided in a way that is ethical, equitable and efficient to all Pennsylvanians:
· All Pennsylvanians age 5 and older are eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine. Use Vaccine Finder to find a COVID-19 vaccine provider near you.
· A commonwealth COVID-19 vaccination guide explains the current process for getting one. Pennsylvanians with questions about the vaccination process can call the Department of Health hotline at 1-877-724-3258.
· Vaccine dashboard data can also be found on the website to find more information on the doses administered and showcase demographic information.
· The Unite Against COVID Weekly Update is a round-up of news you can use and answers to your most pressing vaccine questions – delivered directly to your inbox every week.
· Frequently asked questions can be found here.
MEDIA CONTACT: Mark O'Neill - ra-dhpressoffice@pa.gov
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