Free COVID-19 testing will have a new location in Centre County. Here’s what to know
The free COVID-19 testing site in Centre County is scheduled to remain open until May 1, but is set to shift locations for the third time in six months.
The site is scheduled to be open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday at the lower level of the Patton Township Municipal Building, county Administrator Margaret Gray said Thursday.
“We think testing is still important even as more of our citizens are vaccinated,” Gray said. “Testing is still an integral and important part of our COVID-19 mitigation approach.”
Up to 450 people can be tested daily at 100 Patton Plaza, the state Health Department said Friday. The state is set to operate and pay for the site, shifting the burden off Centre County.
Tests are doled out on a first-come, first-served basis. No symptoms or appointments are necessary. Tests are open to anyone older than 3.
Centre County would become one of four counties in the state with a long-term COVID-19 testing site operated by the state Health Department. The others are in Blair, Dauphin and Delaware counties.
More than 12,500 tests were administered at either the Nittany Mall or the former Comcast building at 1155 Benner Pike. The county’s contract to administer tests at the latter is scheduled to expire Saturday.
“This is terrific news that we can still continue testing here in Centre County,” county Commissioner Michael Pipe said. “... It’s gonna be really phenomenal.”
This story was originally published March 25, 2021 at 11:39 AM.