Charles Patterson, health commissioner at the CCCHD, said in his weekly COVID-19 status update that the health district had been looking into setting up a ''semi-permanent'' testing site for a while and is hopeful that the district will have more information about the site next week.
“Previously we have just had pop-ups, and the pop-ups have been good but if you are looking for a test site they might be going ‘wait I’m looking for a test site today and there isn’t a test site until Monday,'” Patterson said. “We are going to be adding an additional test site that is going to be open at least four days a week.”
Patterson said the site will likely be open “in the afternoons’' on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday
“Those afternoons, that will be available for people to go get tested for COVID, to get an assessment as well maybe,” Patterson said.
After the testing site launches, Patterson said the health district is also looking to work with the Springfield City School District to also offer flu, strep throat and RSV testing at the site.
While the health district works out the site details it will also host a free pop-up testing clinic next week. The clinic will be from 2 to 6 p.m. on Monday at Sacred Heart Church located at 209 W. Lake Ave. in New Carlisle.
Patterson said the health district is still receiving push back from the community about testing.
“We hear quite often, ‘if you are testing more that’s why you are getting more cases.’ That is practically true, but it’s the percentage of cases that matter,” Patterson said.
For example, Patterson said, Ohio went from a roughly 2.3% positive rate and now the state’s rate is over 7%.
“So even if I was testing the same amount of people, we’ve seen a tripling; there are three times as many people per 100 people tested who are positive than just five weeks ago,” Patterson said.
Clark County had 3,259 cases, 86 deaths and four probable deaths of the coronavirus as of Friday afternoon, according to ODH.
With the 5,000 daily cases reported in Ohio on Friday, the state has reported more than 4,000 cases per day for the last three days. Of the last four days, three have set a new record with daily case counts climbing daily.
In total, Ohio reported 240,178 cases and 5,494 deaths of the coronavirus as of Friday, according to ODH.
Next Clark County coronavirus pop-up clinic
2 to 6 p.m., Monday, Nov. 9
Sacred Heart Church
209 W. Lake Ave., New Carlisle
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