Harrisburg, PA – The Wolf Administration today announced the launch of a new, free COVID-19 testing site in Delaware County and highlighted the efforts taking place to support Pennsylvanians and community partners on COVID-19 testing.
“To be clear, the best way for Pennsylvanians to protect themselves and vulnerable populations and prevent hospitalization from COVID-19 is for eligible individuals to get vaccinated and boosted,” said Gov. Tom Wolf. “We know that COVID-19 tests are also an important tool to help prevent the spread of this contagious disease, especially as we enter cold and flu season and symptoms for cold, flu and COVID-19 may seem similar. My administration is collaborating with health systems, communities, school districts and the private sector to support their current needs and incentivize the public to get tested before engaging with the public.”
The drive-through testing site in Delaware County is located at the Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital address 600 S. Wycombe Ave., Yeadon, PA 19050. The testing location is located between St. Bernard’s Hall and Friendship Circle. All participants should enter on Wycombe Avenue.
This week, testing is available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Starting the week of January 10, testing will take place Tuesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Testing will be reserved for First Responders, Emergency Management Services personnel, and health care workers only from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. each morning.
In addition to the Delaware County testing site, the Department of Health has been hosting testing sites, particularly in rural communities, to support health system and retail testing sites through a partnership with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare. Open sites include:
Berks County
Testing is available from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 9 a.m. through 3 p.m. on Saturdays from now through Jan. 8. 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.
Blair County
Testing is available Monday, Jan. 3 through Friday, Jan. 7 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the parking lot of Blair Convention Center, 1 Convention Center Drive, Altoona, PA, 16602.
Centre County
Testing will be available Tuesday, Jan. 4 through Saturday, Jan. 29 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the County Recycling and Refuse Authority/Interpretive Center, 253 Transfer Road, Bellefonte, PA, 16823.
Clinton County
Testing will be available Tuesday, Jan. 4 through Saturday, Jan. 29 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday testing is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lock Haven University East Campus Gymnasium (former Lock Haven High School Gymnasium), 340 West Main Street, Lock Haven, PA, 17745.
Luzerne County
Testing is available Monday, Jan. 3 through Friday, Jan. 7 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the South Main Plaza, 400 South Main Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA, 18701.
Mifflin County
Testing will be available Tuesday, Jan. 4 through Saturday, Jan. 15. Tuesday through Friday testing is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday testing is from 8 a.m. to noon at the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy, 1150 Riverside Drive, Lewistown, PA, 17044.
The Department of Health also maintains an up-to-date map online detailing where the public can obtain a COVID-19 test, as well as provided funding to county municipal health departments to develop localized testing sites.
The Department of Health is also applying to participate in Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT), a new CDC program for COVID-19 surge response. Specifically, the department would apply to set up testing sites in southeastern and south-central Pennsylvania.
To support communities and health systems, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) has reached out to counties, municipalities and health systems to share information about the federal resources that may be available to them so that they can set up their own testing sites. PEMA is available to assist counties that wish to open a community-based testing site to get federal reimbursement.
In addition to the free, community testing locations, to support K-12 school districts and school-age families and to help ensure in-person learning continues, the departments of Health and Education, in partnership with Concentric by Ginkgo Bioworks, provide free, weekly COVID-19 testing services at no cost to participating schools. Schools that want to take advantage of this free program must submit a Statement of Assurance to the Department of Health.
Further, the governor recently sought 1 million rapid at-home COVID-19 tests and increased allocation of monoclonal antibodies, and while the federal government did not accommodate this request at this time, the Wolf Administration appreciates President Joe Biden’s recent announcement to expand free at-home testing for Americans.
“Testing is an important strategy to managing the pandemic and protecting public health and safety, and my administration will continue its ongoing efforts to support access to testing,” Gov. Wolf said.