The Pennsylvania Department of Health will be extending its free outdoor COVID-19 testing clinic in Berks County for a second week, starting on Tuesday, October 20 until Saturday October 24. The outdoor clinic is being held in the Front Street parking lot at FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the Reading Fightin Phillies.
The department offered to extend the testing after large turnouts this week. The clinic served 353 patients on the first day, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 400 patients on Wednesday, Oct. 14 and hit its daily maximum of 440 patients on Thursday, Oct. 15 and Friday, Oct. 16. The clinic is open today, Oct. 17, until 5:30 PM.
The site will close for two days before starting up again on Tuesday, Oct. 20, and will be open the following dates and times:
– Tuesday, October 20: 7 AM to 6 PM
– Wednesday, October 21: 7 AM to 6 PM
– Thursday, October 22: 7 AM to 6 PM
– Friday, October 23: 7 AM to 5 PM
– Saturday, October 24: 7 AM to 4:30 PM
The testing site is one of several the Department of Health is hosting throughout the state in an effort to contain the recent increase in COVID-19 cases. The department signed a contract with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare (AMI) to provide testing and has previously deployed clinics in Centre, Columbia and Indiana counties.
Up to 440 patients can be tested per day. Testing is on a first-come, first-serve basis and is at no cost to those being tested. Patients are not required to show symptoms of COVID-19 in order to be tested. No appointment is necessary, but patients should bring a photo-ID and insurance card. Registration will be completed on-site. The turnaround time for testing results is two to seven days after testing.
Individuals who are tested should self-isolate while they await test results. For those individuals who live with other people, they should self-isolate in a private room and use a private bathroom if possible. Whoever else lives in the home with the individual awaiting test results should also stay at home. The department has additional instructions for individuals waiting for a COVID-19 test result available here.
