Manchester’s 375th Committee co-chair, Tom Kehoe, was among the early birds who showed up for COVID testing on Tuesday. He’s seen here taking direction from a testing coordinator.
Manchester will offer residents two days of free coronavirus testing by drive thru or walk up at Town Hall.
The Town of Manchester-by-the- Sea announces free, COVID-19 PCR testing for residents through a new partnership with Allen’s Pharmacy and Veritas Genetics. Testing will take place, by appointment only, at Allen’s Pharmacy on December 20, 21,22, 29 and 30.
All residents who are concerned about a possible COVID-19 exposure or who are experiencing symptoms, are encouraged to schedule an online appointment at the link detailed below. Once scheduled, residents will receive an appointment confirmation via email with further instructions. 100 tests per day will be available to Manchester-by-the-Sea residents and results will be given within 2 days from the date of sample collection.
The new testing dates and format follows a pivot from Tuesday's drive up and walk up testing that saw an unexpected level of demand for testing by residents. That day, 228 tests were given, and because of testing vendor limitations, many more residents were turned away while the organizers sought alternative options for continued testing. The second day of testing, originally scheduled for Saturday, December 19, was canceled while other options were sought. This solution, which draws from an existing private testing solution already being offered at Allen's Pharmacy, proved to be the best, according to organizers.
Allen’s Pharmacy is requesting that those who are at greatest risk for COVID-19 exposure book their appointments from 7 a.m. – 9 a.m. if possible. This includes the elderly and anyone who has been in recent contact with a COVID-19 positive individual. They are also recommending that families with small children schedule appointments after 2 p.m. to allow for a slightly longer swab time.
To keep the flow of testing manageable, please do not arrive more than five minutes early to your appointment and do not enter the pharmacy. Follow signage to the designated parking spots behind the building. Park your car and staff will come to your car to administer the test. Please wear a face covering until directed to remove it.
How to schedule your test:
Go to schedule.veritasgenetics.com/manchester
