A coronavirus testing site at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, now has an expected start date.
Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks said testing will start at the beginning of next week.
The testing is set to open Monday. The tent site in the parking lot is expected to test about 100 people per day. It will be open Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The site will operate with the assistance of the state and county health departments, the Maryland National Guard and the University of Maryland Medical System.
Great to tour the future Coronavirus screening site being constructed at FedEx Field. Thank you to our Health Department, Governor Hogan and the Washington Redskins for collaborating to build this prototype screening site to protect the wellbeing of our residents. #PGCCOVID19 pic.twitter.com/2FwjSaLk8t
— County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (@CEXAlsobrooks) March 26, 2020
Alsobrooks said this is an important site because it will provide free testing in a county where 50,000 people don’t have health insurance.
“We want to make sure that during this time in particular, we are first of all not overwhelming the emergency rooms and the urgent care centers,” Alsobrooks said.
The site will operate by appointment only.
“We want to be able to keep the site safe and not have too many people there,” Alsobrooks said.
Here’s how the process will work. First you need to call the Prince George’s County Health Department coronavirus hotline at (301) 883-6627 to schedule an initial telehealth screening. If you meet CDC testing criteria based on that screening, you’ll receive an appointment time and number.
Once at the site, Alsobrooks said people with appointments will be screened in person and given the test if they meet the CDC guidlines.
One of the biggest challenges surrounding the county’s COVID-19 plans is the lack of an end date, Alsobrooks said.
“So, [it’s] unlike most emergencies that you confront, you can kind of say what the end date for it is, but there’s a high degree of uncertainty,” Alsobrooks said.
She also said there is a need for more tests and hopes the federal government will provide more testing kits soon.
Alsobrooks thanked health care providers and first responders and also sought to reassure residents during this difficult time.
“We’re going to make it through this, together,” Alsobrooks said.
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