Photo provided to the Times Observer The Israel Building on the grounds of the Warren State Hospital will be the location of a COVID-19 testing site from Saturday through Monday. Tests will be free to those without insurance and those with insurance will have no out of pocket cost.

In the wake of the county’s single highest daily total of COVID-19 cases, the Pa. Department of Health and county officials have announced a new, free testing site in Warren County.

The site will be located at the Israel Building — 677 Hospital Drive — on the grounds of the Warren State Hospital in North Warren from Dec. 10-14

A maximum of 450 patients can be tested per day. Tests will be offered from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each of those days.

The announcement was made on Tuesday, when Department of Health data indicated the county — for the second day in a row — set a new high for COVID-19 cases. Tuesday’s data indicated an increase of 69 cases. That brings the county to a total of 568 cases.

Testing will be on a first-come, first-served basis and Public Safety Director Ken McCorrison said these specific dates were established by the Department of Health.

Photo provided to the Times Observer A map from the Commissioner’s office shows how traffic will flow through the Warren State Hospital grounds while the testing site is operational from Saturday through Monday.

The state has contracted with several entities to hold these roving sites around the state.

“That specific group is targeting Northwestern Pennsylvania,” McCorrison said.

“They’ll move on to the next county and then the next and just circle around.”

According to a release from the commissioner’s office. “Patients must be age three and older and are not required to show symptoms of COVID-19 to be tested.”

Officials say no appointment is necessary but those seeking tests are encouraged to bring a photo ID and insurance card. They say insurance will be billed without co-pay. Those without insurance will be tested at no cost.

“There’s a grant that will allow them to… take care of any uninsured people,” McCorrison said, noting there won’t be an “out of pocket expense” for anyone tested even if insurance is billed.

Rick Allen, Warren General Hospital CEO, described this site as “community wide surveillance testing” where no symptoms or physician’s order are required.

“Warren General Hospital Lab and the North Warren Walk in Clinic continue to test but only patients who are symptomatic and have a provider/physician order,” he said.

While expanded testing certainly isn’t a bad thing, McCorrison pointed out one factor to keep in mind if you go to the state hospital for a test.

“If they test you,” he said, “they are going to ask you to quarantine until the results come back.”

For some, though, being able to get tested will be a blessing.

McCorrison said he’s been hearing about people that have traveled struggling to get a test to be able to return to work if they don’t have symptoms.

He said the county through the Department of Health is lobbying CVS to let the local CVS do some testing and also approach Walmart; however Walmart is focusing their efforts on vaccination distribution, he said.

The county’s statement offered some details on the logistics for arriving and departing the area.

Those utilizing the drive-thru site will enter the grounds from N. State St. and travel west to the Israel building, described as “the large apartment-style building on the north side of the campus.” Motorists will leave the area via the traffic light on Rt. 62 in order to prevent traffic issues.

Those who choose to walk in will enter the building from the south entrance and the test will be administered in the entryway. There are bus stops on the grounds to allow the use of public transportation to access the testing site.

SCHOOL UPDATE

The Warren County School District on Monday elected to go virtual through the end of the semester, Jan. 25, starting today.

The Tidioute Community Charter School followed suit on Tuesday.

“Up to this point, we have had no widespread positive COVID-19 cases in the building,” a letter from the school and sent to the Times Observer explained. “However, at this time, in the interest of public health, safety, and the mindset of the overall area community through the holidays, TCCS has decided that we will move to remote instruction from December 9 through January 12, 2021.”

The letter states that school officials remain “firm in the fact that in-person instruction is the best form of education and is our first option.”

They recognize, however, that the CDC and Department of Health “have recommended that at this time we move to the remote learning model. This decision was based on what is best for our students and community members.”

Not all schools in the community are going virtual though.

St. Joseph Catholic School will remain open “as long as possible,” according to Principal Nancy Warner.

“At this point there are no known cases in the building either among students or staff,” she said. “We are already offering a hybrid option to our school families, and we do have eight students (out of 150) that utilize that option. It is also available for students who may need to quarantine due to travel or exposure to the virus.”