The PA Department of Health’s map of COVID testing sites in the state.
Getting tested for COVID soon will be easier for people in the greater Harrisburg area.
The state Acting Secretary of Health Keara Klinepeter announced on Thursday that the federal government has approved a high-volume testing site at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
“The south-central location was selected because it is in an area with a high population and a region that has experienced a large increase in cases and testing needs,” Klinepeter said. “The Hershey location was also selected because of its ease of access in the region and proximity to socially vulnerable populations in the surrounding communities.”
The Department of Health has not yet released details on when the site will open.
The drive-through site will allow people to stay in their cars to receive testing. According to Klinepeter, the clinic will provide COVID tests for around 1,000 people each day.
“The latest intense surge of COVID-19 cases reminds us that accessible, reliable testing is a key tool in managing this pandemic,” said Deborah Addo, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Penn State Health. “Penn State Health is proud to play a role in making this new testing site available to people across central Pennsylvania.”
The site will be staffed by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services contractors with support from the medical center.
Clinical staff, testing supplies and laboratory support are funded by the federal government.
The creation of this site is part of the Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) state initiative. The state recently announced another high-volume testing site at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Delaware County for the southeast region of Pa.
The department also has an up-to-date map online detailing where people can obtain a COVID-19 test.
If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!
