The free COVID-19 testing clinic in Centre County will continue through at least the end of October at a new location.
Now through Oct. 30, the clinic is operating at 183 Shiloh Road, the Sears Auto Center building next to the Nittany Mall, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
The clinic had been operating at the Centre County Recycling & Refuse Authority Interpretive Center since May.
Hours will remain the same as at previous locations: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Testing is open to anyone age 3 or older on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointment is required and patients do not need to have COVID-19 symptoms to get tested. Patients are encouraged to bring a photo ID, but it is not required.
Up to 450 people per day can be tested. Mid-nasal passage swab PCR tests are performed and turnaround time for results is one to three days after testing.
AMI Expeditionary Health Care will continue administering the tests under a contract with the health department. Since October 2020, AMI has conducted 19,474 free PCR tests in Centre County.
Using a portion of its CARES Act block grant funds, Centre County contracted with AMI to continue free testing beginning last October, first inside the mall before moving in January to the former Comcast building at 1155 Benner Pike.
When the county’s last contract with AMI expired at the end of March, DOH sponsored a long-term free walk-in clinic in Centre County, first at the Patton Township Municipal Building and then at the Recycling and Refuse Authority before moving to its new location on Shiloh Road.
“The fight against COVID-19 is not over and testing is the best way to identify and help stop the virus from spreading,” Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said in a statement. “Centre County is one of many counties across the state ensuring the consistent accessibility of COVID-19 testing. We encourage anyone who feels they need or want a test, especially if they think they have been exposed to COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms, to take advantage of the free COVID-19 testing clinics closest to them. This includes fully vaccinated individuals who are experiencing symptoms.”
