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Free COVID-19 Testing Clinic Moving to New Site

The free COVID-19 testing clinic in Centre County will continue at a new location starting next week and will no longer be operated at the county’s expense.

Beginning Tuesday and continuing through May 1, the clinic will operate on the lower level of the Patton Township Municipal Building, 100 Patton Plaza, Centre County Administrator Margaret Gray said during Thursday’s Board of Commissioners meeting. Hours of operation will remain the same as they have been: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

AMI Expeditionary Health Care will continue administering the tests, but now under a contract with the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

DOH has contracted with AMI for free testing sites around the state and previously sponsored free testing for Centre County Sept. 25-Oct. 3 at the Nittany Mall.

Using a portion of its CARES Act block grant funds, the county subsequently contracted with AMI to continue free testing beginning on Oct. 26, first at the mall before moving in January to the former Comcast building at 1155 Benner Pike. The county’s most recent contract with AMI, for a maximum rate of about $66,000 per week, expires on Saturday.

“We will continue to be working with the Department of Health and AMI as they take this over starting next Tuesday,” Gray said. “We think testing is still important even as more of our citizens are vaccinated. Testing is still an integral and important part of our COVID-19 mitigation approach.”

Over the past five months, 12,567 free tests have been administered at the clinic, Gray said. Testing is available to anyone of any age and no appointment is needed. Photo ID is required. Individuals with insurance will be asked to provide an insurance card, but no co-pay or any other cost is charged. Those without insurance also are tested free of charge.

“This is terrific news that we can still continue testing here in Centre County and the best part of this news is county government is not bearing the cost. It’s being done by the state,” Board of Commissioners Chair Michael Pipe said.