COVID-19 mass testing event will be held Monday and Tuesday in Jefferson County

 

WATERTOWN, N.Y. (Dec. 4, 2020) – Samaritan Medical Center, Carthage Area Hospital, Jefferson County Public Health and the New York State Department of Health will host a communitywide COVID-19 mass testing event on Monday, Dec. 7, and Tuesday, Dec. 8. Collectively, these organizations hope to test as many community members as possible over these two days.

This testing event will help to determine the community spread of COVID-19 following the Thanksgiving holiday. Anyone who is concerned about their level of exposure should take this opportunity to protect themselves and their family members. Knowing the volume of new positive cases will help to slow the spread of the disease as community members are asked to quarantine and take precautions.

This event is FREE and open to all, but it is by appointment only to safely and efficiently accommodate as many people as possible.

All testing will take place at two community locations:

  • Samaritan’s Drive-Up Testing Site: 1575 Washington St. in Watertown. Testing hours will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. both days.

  • Carthage Area Hospital: 1001 West St., Carthage, using the back entrance off of West Street. Testing hours will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Results will be provided by the state DOH’s lab vendor, BioReference, within two to three days after tests are collected. This is not rapid testing.

Appointments must be requested by visiting Samaritan’s website at www.samaritanhealth.com/covid-test. Patients without access to a computer or the Internet should call the Samaritan Resource Line at (315) 755-3100 or the Carthage Area Hospital COVID-19 Hotline at (315) 519-5497.

Any community member who receives a positive test result will be contacted by Jefferson County Public Health, who will provide details and begin the process for contact tracing. Local public health officials have additional resources available from New York state to help with contact tracing.

Everyone has a role in helping to slow the spread of this disease. Wash your hands, wear your mask, social distance, and avoid large crowds and non-emergency travel.

 

(Jefferson County Board of Legislators)