https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/covid-19-testing-site-opens-in-lower-burrell/
Covid-19 testing site opens in Lower Burrell due to rapid increase in cases
Officials are working to contain a rapid increase of coronavirus cases in Westmoreland County by opening a testing clinic in Lower Burrell.
The drive-thru and indoor testing clinic will open Saturday in the parking lot of the Hillcrest Shopping Center.
Testing will be available daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Wednesday, Pennsylvania’s secretary of health, Dr. Rachel Levine, announced Friday.
Testing is free.
Symptoms do not need to be apparent for someone to be tested. Testing is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Up to 440 people can be tested per day. Patients must be at least 3 years old. Registration will be completed on-site.
“Since the beginning of September, we have seen an increase of 2,998 cases in Westmoreland County, which gives us significant cause for concern,” Levine said in a news release. “This testing site will be open to anyone who feels they need a test. It is important that even people with no symptoms who test positive isolate to stop the spread of covid-19.”
The number of coronavirus cases in the county started to spike last month. This week, Westmoreland County had the 20th highest percent-positivity rate in the state at 7.2%. That is a decrease from 8.4% last week.
On Friday, officials with the state Department of Health reported 82 new cases of covid-19 in the county and one new death. The county total is 4,899 cases since March, with 4,234 of those confirmed. The county has had 115 covid-related deaths since March.
State officials believe increasing testing in the county will help determine the prevalence of the virus and assist the county in moving forward.
The state health department decides which counties need more testing based on the number of confirmed cases per 100,000 people in the preceding 14 days, as well as where outbreaks are occurring, county population and other data.
Additional testing for communities in need became available after officials with the state health department signed a contract with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare. The organization has deployed to Centre, Columbia, Indiana, Berks, Northumberland, Lebanon and Huntingdon counties.
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