Prisma Health announces seven new one-day community testing sites for coronavirus
Prisma Health will offer COVID-19 testing at seven new community locations across South Carolina starting Saturday.
The one-day testing sites, aimed at reaching “populations who may not otherwise have access to traditional testing or online virtual visits,” won’t be like the drive-through testing locations Prisma already has throughout the state, the health group said in a press release.
People won’t need to schedule an appointment or have a doctor’s order to be tested, and they will not be limited by their ability to pay. Instead, individuals who show up between the hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. will be given masks and asked to maintain social distancing measures. They will then be screened and tested if they are displaying symptoms of the novel coronavirus.
“For those individuals who cannot come to us, we are taking the test sites to them,” Dr. Scott Sasser, an incident commander over Prisma Health’s COVID-19 response team, said in a statement. “We know that virtual visits and the drive-through testing sites aren’t the right access for everyone.”
The tests for these new sites were provided by South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control. Results will be expected within four days, Prisma official ssaid, and individuals will receive notification of their results, whether negative or positive through Prisma Health providers.
The first seven testing sites will be in Greenville, Richland and Sumter counties, with hopes to add more locations in other areas where Prisma operates, according to the press release.
As of Thursday afternoon, more than 6,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been announced across South Carolina, resulting in 244 deaths. Private and public labs have combined to run 56,512 tests, but health officials believe the virus is far more widespread than the number of positive cases indicate. DHEC estimates there are as many as 37,000 untested positive cases in the state.
While Gov. Henry McMaster promises to reopen the state’s economy “soon” and ease stay-at-home orders and business closures as COVID-19 cases appear to plateau, public health officials across the country have said increased testing is key to limiting further outbreaks.
Also on Thursday, more than 50 Doctors Care locations across South Carolina began offering walk-in coronavirus antibody testing. That test is used to detect the presence of antibodies, not to diagnose active infections like Prisma’s will, and it is available for people who are healthy and have not had any symptoms of the coronavirus in the preceding 14 days.
PRISMA HEALTH COMMUNITY TESTING SITES
Richland County sites
- Wednesday, May 6 – Hopkins Park Adult Activity Center (144 Hopkins Park Road, Hopkins, SC 29061)
- Friday, May 8 – Richland County Rec Community Center (2750 McCords Ferry Rd, Eastover, SC 29044)
- Saturday, May 9 – Garners Ferry Adult Activity Center (8620 Garners Ferry Road, Hopkins, SC 29061)
Sumter County sites
- Saturday, May 2 – Union Baptist Church of Rembert (5840 Spring Hill Rd, Rembert, SC 29128)
Greenville County sites
- Saturday, May 2 – Augusta Heights Baptist (3018 Augusta St., Greenville, SC 29605)
- Wednesday, May 6 – Augusta Heights Baptist (3018 Augusta St., Greenville, SC 29605)
- Saturday, May 9 – La Unica SuperCenter (6119 White Horse Rd #3, Greenville, SC 29611)
