Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Sentara and Peninsula Health are giving free coronavirus testing. If you’re eligible, here’s where you can get tested

(Associated Press photo)
(Associated Press photo)

The Peninsula Health District and Sentara Healthcare have joined forces to offer free coronavirus testing throughout the state.

Officials said the move is to “contain the spread of COVID-19 in overlooked, under-tested, underserved and/or uninsured communities.”

Testing is for those experiencing at least one COVID-19 symptom, living or working in a group setting, or an essential worker at high-risk for exposure. Symptoms or combinations of symptoms include:

  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Feeling feveris
  • Body aches
  • Headache
  • Sore throat
  • Runny nose
  • Loss of taste or smell
  • Diarrhea
  • In the elderly, there may also be a change in behavior and/or appetite.

Free testing priority given to the communities underserved and uninsured; those working high-risk jobs for transmission; those living in a group setting with high risk of exposure; public housing; homeless; and senior citizens with symptoms, according to a news release from James City County.

Here are the testing sites in the area:

  • June 27, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: Chickahominy Baptist Church, 2900 Chickahominy Road
  • July 2, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: Williamsburg House of Mercy, 10 Harrison Avenue
  • July 11, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: Little Zion Baptist Church, 8625 Pocahontas Trail

Testing is on a first come, first serve basis. Tents and tables will be set up.

Participants can choose between a drive-through or walk-up option.

Testing event lines will cut-off 15 minutes prior to end time to help ensure each site wraps up in a timely manner so the team can travel to the next location, according to the news release. Those in line before that cut-off, will be seen as long as tests are available.

Sentara Healthcare staff perform all nasal swab testing. They will call all residents with their results, both negative and positive, within 72 hours of test collection, according to the news release.

However, it may take longer in certain circumstances. Positive results are the teams’ first priority.

For more information, contact the Peninsula Health District at 757-594-7069.

John Mangalonzo
John Mangalonzohttp://wydaily.com
John Mangalonzo (john@localdailymedia.com) is the managing editor of Local Voice Media’s Virginia papers – WYDaily (Williamsburg), Southside Daily (Virginia Beach) and HNNDaily (Hampton-Newport News). Before coming to Local Voice, John was the senior content editor of The Bellingham Herald, a McClatchy newspaper in Washington state. Previously, he served as city editor/content strategist for USA Today Network newsrooms in St. George and Cedar City, Utah. John started his professional journalism career shortly after graduating from Lyceum of The Philippines University in 1990. As a rookie reporter for a national newspaper in Manila that year, John was assigned to cover four of the most dangerous cities in Metro Manila. Later that year, John was transferred to cover the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines. He spent the latter part of 1990 to early 1992 embedded with troopers in the southern Philippines as they fought with communist rebels and Muslim extremists. His U.S. journalism career includes reporting and editing stints for newspapers and other media outlets in New York City, California, Texas, Iowa, Utah, Colorado and Washington state.

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