The Warren County Commissioners are exploring ways to educate the public on COVID-19 testing options available in the community.

The issue was discussed during Tuesday’s work session.

Commissioner Jeff Eggleston said he has been talking to Public Safety Director Ken McCorrison and that the increases in case counts have resulted in Warren General Hospital’s walk-in clinic and other testing locations being “slammed.”

He told the rest of the board that Gaughn’s Drug Store and Darling’s Pharmacy have testing options.

Eggleston’s first option to lessen the strain on the hospital was to promote those options.

“Gaughn’s has a test that takes somewhere between 30 and 48 hours but it’s very accurate,” he said, explaining that Darling’s has the rapid 15 minute tests for $50.

He proposed $5,000 to $10,000 in American Rescue Plan funds to promote those options. Other options he laid out include subsidizing the cost of the rapid tests or by purchasing at-home tests and establishing a location to distribute.

Consensus quickly coalesced around the promotion option.

Commissioner Ben Kafferlin said this would be in the county’s scope of its work through its role to protect critical infrastructure for emergency management.

“That’s why we got involved in the past,” Kafferlin said.

Eggleston said it’s his view that “nobody knows the testing options that are available. 98 percent of people that are having trouble with COVID think they gotta go to the clinic for a test.

He told the commissioner that the testing option on the state hospital grounds, that is no longer in effect, was getting six to 10 tests per day until the county promoted it and the number shot to 60.

Eggleston said it’s his assumption that with promotion usage of Gaughn’s and Darling’s offerings will increase and “strain on the hospital will reduce.

“They’re getting slammed with people seeking tests,” he said.

Commissioner Tricia Durbin said she would support “letting the community know there is testing available” for the “specific purpose of reducing the walk-in clinic testing issue.” She also proposed promoting just when people should get tests as well as other locations where tests might be available.

“(I) hope that it wouldn’t last long,” Eggleston said of the effort. “This is going to be the peak problem period, the next month.”

66 CASES ANNOUNCED TUESDAY

Pennsylvania went over 400,000 total cases on Tuesday. The state stands at 400,740 cases so far, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

There were 66 new cases announced Tuesday in Warren County, bringing the local total to 5,996.

A total of 185 county residents have died COVID-related deaths, according to the department, with one new death announced on Tuesday.