Here’s how free COVID-19 testing could continue at the Nittany Mall pop-up site
Free COVID-19 testing could continue outside the Nittany Mall, with the possibility of running for four weeks.
The Centre County Board of Commissioners discussed on Thursday a 21-day contract with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare that would allow the pop-up site to resume operations for about $240,000. The site would be paid for by the county’s COVID-19 relief funds, and remain free to residents.
The state Department of Health operated a pop-up site to provide free access to 2,700 tests at the mall location from Sept. 25-Oct. 10. It has since concluded operations, and the health team has been deployed to other parts of the state.
“It was valuable to the county because it was the only testing site that an individual could walk up to and did not need a doctor’s prescription,” county administrator Margaret Gray said Thursday. “There are other testing sites within the county, three of them, but they require a doctor’s prescription for testing.”
The contract, which includes lodging for AMI employees, would allow the pop-up site to operate as it did last month, but it would conduct testing five days each week. Patients would not be required to show symptoms of COVID-19 in order to be tested. No appointments would be necessary, but a photo-ID or insurance card is required. Registration would also be completed on-site.
“It seems like a good idea, especially if we can work to get the cost down,” Commissioner Mark Higgins said. “I don’t think we need quite as many tests as the DOH had contracted for. Another positive point to this is while we certainly aren’t seeing any HIPPA level of information, it does allow the county, the hospital and other important local stakeholders to at least have the smallest idea of what the local positivity rate is by age range and very roughly by region of county.”
Commissioner Steve Dershem agreed, saying the site would help officials better understand COVID-19 data, which areas in the county are experiencing issues with the virus, and identify entities that may benefit from county funding.
“I think this would be helpful for us to better glean some information. As we deploy the rest of our CARES Act money, it will be very useful,” Dershem said.
The board will discuss the contract further at its Tuesday meeting.
This story was originally published October 15, 2020 at 3:08 PM.
