XENIA — Free COVID-19 tests will be available in Greene County Wednesday to anyone who wants one.
According to Greene County Public Health (GCPH) public information officer Laurie Fox, the governor’s COVID-19 Minority Health Strike Force, in partnership with Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio National Guard, will provide testing at various pop-up sites this week.
Locally, Five Rivers Greene County Health Center will host testing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 24 at 360 Wilson Drive in Xenia. Appointments are not required. Anyone, even if they are not from the community or county, can receive testing. Those who attend can walk up or drive up. All are asked to enter the testing site from the Wilson Drive/Meadow Lane entrances.
Individuals should bring their state identification or driver’s license and an insurance card if they have one. Tests are at no-cost to the patient.
The first 200 cars will receive a community wellness kit including face coverings, hand sanitizer and sanitizing spray.
Pre-registration is encouraged at www.fiverivershealthcenters.org. For more information about the Xenia pop-up testing site, call 937-708-3403.
Health officials say they are working to find a site in Fairborn to conduct testing as well.
Testing in Montgomery County will take place 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, June 25 at Samaritan Health Center, 921 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd., Dayton.
The new testing sites are emerging in zip codes with the highest number of cases as a part of the state’s response to the coronavirus. Last week, Ohio Department of Health released data showing a recent increasing number of cases in Southwest Ohio — Montgomery, Greene, Clark, Warren and Hamilton counties. Data showed that in Greene County, the zip codes with the most cases were Fairborn and Xenia, respectively.
Don Brannen, community epidemiologist for GCPH, explained the local rise in cases.
“At a population level, the virus, like a fire finding fresh streams of fuel, is finding its way to the most susceptible persons in the population through very specific exposure settings, including congregations, parties, and other venues where social distancing, handwashing, and other infectious prevention practices are not easily observed,” he said by email last Friday.
A new GCPH COVID-19 hotline is available at 937-374-5626. The hotline provides recorded messages with basic information about the virus. Additional testing locations can be found at coronavirus.ohio.gov.
