WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – The state Department of Health has ended the free, state-sponsored COVID-19 testing program at Samaritan’s drive-up location off Washington Street in Watertown.
The state cited marked improvements in public health as the reason for the closure of the testing site.
The drive-up testing site had been open to the community since July 13, 2020. Samaritan staff were able to offer 9,000 free COVID-19 tests through the state-sponsored program.
Samaritan Health leadership has engaged in discussions with Jefferson County Public Health officials about ensuring members of the community have access to free testing, especially those who are un- or under-insured and those who need testing for travel or other purposes.
The program closure does not affect other Samaritan patients who are currently using the drive-up testing site. Those with symptoms can still call Samaritan’s Resource Line at 315-755-3100 for questions and referrals to testing.
North Country Family Health Center offers PCR COVID-19 rapid and send-out laboratory testing to anyone in the community in a drive-up testing site at its main campus on Arsenal Street.
If you need a COVID-19 test, contact the Family Health Center at 315-775-7777 to make an appointment.
When it comes to COVID reports from Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties, there are a number of new cases and hospitalizations.
Jefferson County’s new cases since Friday is 28. The county’s positivity rate is 2 percent, the highest in more than 2 months. Three people are in hospitals.
St. Lawrence County now has 4 people in hospitals. That is the most patients, at one time, in weeks. It reports 22 new cases since Friday.
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