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Beginning on Monday, March 23, new sites launched at the Intermodal Center at Dutchess Stadium on Route 9D in Fishkill and Tech City on Enterprise Drive in Kingston.
According to officials, Enterprise Drive is accessible from either Route 209 or Route 9W via Boice Lane. The Dutchess Stadium site will open at noon and Tech City at 8:30 a.m. each day.
The sites will be used to collect samples from people who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. The samples will be sent to off-site laboratories for testing. A person must have a physician’s order before entering these locations.
Health officials from Nuvance said that both collection sites are only for people who have had a consultation with a healthcare provider, were advised to seek testing by that physician and has a scheduled appointment at the collection site.
“We established these collection sites to provide a safe alternate location for symptomatic patients to be screened for COVID-19,” Sandra Iberger, Vice President of Ambulatory Services at Nuvance Health sated. “Currently, patients have been seeking testing via the Emergency Department and physician offices, which are not the appropriate setting for testing.”
At both locations, a trained provider will use a swab to collect a nasal sample. That sample will then be sent to a lab for testing. It may take up to six days to get the test results back. Doctors will then notify patients of the results. One has been instructed not to contact a doctor if they don’t receive results within a week.
“We are grateful for our community partner, Nuvance Health, for expediting the process to expand testing for COVID-19 in Dutchess County, and we are thrilled to utilize the intermodal center at Dutchess Stadium in as a site for county residents,” Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said in a statement. “The ability to test residents will provide us a more accurate picture of the spread of the virus throughout our community, enabling Dutchess County government to deploy resources even more effectively to safeguard even more residents’ health.”
Healthcare providers from Nuvance Health and law enforcement will work at the two sites. Three additional providers from Ellenville Hospital will assist at the Tech City site.
“Adding this mobile testing site will save lives. It will provide a significant surge in testing capacity, which will enable us to better treat those affected and slow the spread of COVID-19,” Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan added. “I want to thank Nuvance Health for stepping up during this critical moment for our community. Our entire team will continue to work around the clock to keep every Ulster County resident safe and healthy."
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