Free COVID-19 testing will have a new location in Centre County. Here’s what to know
County-funded COVID-19 testing will be available through the end of January, but beginning next week, the walk-in testing site will have a new location.
Centre County Government’s contract with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare allows for continued coronavirus testing through Jan. 30. This is the final week free tests will be administered inside the former Bon-Ton storefront at the Nittany Mall.
After Saturday, the site will reopen on Jan. 19 at the former Comcast building, 1155 Benner Pike, Suite 120.
Dr. Jorge Simental, AMI’s lead physician for COVID-19 testing, said AMI is working to increase the number of labs used to process test samples. Moving forward, he estimates patients will have results within 72 hours.
“We do inform people when they come in to get tested that the easiest way to treat this disease is to not get it,” Michelle Mitinger, an AMI employee and State College native, said Tuesday during a board of commissioners meeting. “We really don’t have a treatment. Really, your best action is prevention, and if you’ve had some kind of possible exposure, we do tell people to continue to isolate until they get their results back.”
Mitinger, who has been administering tests in Centre County, stressed the importance of following masking and social distancing guidelines — highlighting the possible long-term consequences the coronavirus can have on an individual’s health.
“It can be deadly at all ages,” she said, adding that while COVID-19 fatigue is frustrating, preventing community spread is serious.
Funded by county CARES Act funds, the site costs about $79,000 per week and allows for 300 tests per day. More than 8,000 tests have been administered at the Centre County site, county Administrator Margaret Gray said Tuesday.
Testing will be available from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, which are also the hours this week at the mall.
Patients of all ages may utilize the site, and no symptoms or appointments are needed to receive a free test. A photo ID or insurance card are required upon arrival. Registration is completed on-site.
“It’s been really a pleasure to work in the community and provide some health care solutions,” Simental said. “We are turning these testing units into vaccination units, and we hope that at some point, we can at least achieve protection for Centre County community members.”
