Governor Janet Mills announced on Tuesday an expansion of coronavirus testing sites throughout Maine.
The governor’s administration says 18 new “swab-and-send” sites will be launched under a partnership between the Maine DHHS and various healthcare organizations. The sites will offer drive-through and mobile testing free of charge for anyone who suspects they may have COVID-19 or have been exposed to the virus, whether or not they have symptoms.
That’s in accordance with a standing order, which allows “health care and hospitality workers, people of color given known racial disparities in COVID-19, those who have participated in large gatherings, and visitors from other states with a higher prevalence of COVID-19 than in Maine, among others” to get a test regardless of whether they were ordered to by a healthcare provider.
The specimens collected from the tests will be sent to the state’s lab.
The move comes during the state’s normally busy tourist season. The bolstered testing is aimed at providing service to residents, tourists, seasonal workers, and other visitors.
The administration says some of those testing sites are already up and running, and others will come online in the next two weeks.
“Expanding access to testing is critical to keeping COVID-19 infection rates in Maine relatively low,” said DHHS Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew. “Creating Maine-based testing capacity is especially important as national laboratories struggle to handle other states’ surge of COVID-19 cases. It prevents the Maine State lab from experiencing the shortages of testing supplies and re-agents that occurred early in the pandemic. We thank these health care organizations for partnering with us to continue to protect the health of Maine people and visitors.”
The swab and send sites are or will be available in Bangor, Brewer, Old Town, Augusta, Portland, South Portland, Belfast, Ellsworth, Blue Hill, Dover-Foxcroft, Presque Isle, Calais, Greenville, Waterville, Pittsfield, Bar Harbor, and Fort Kent. Additional mobile sites will also launch within the next two weeks.
You can find a the locations of all testing sites, including the 40 that are already operational, at this link.
