ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH UPDATES COVID-19 TESTING OPTIONS

Erie County residents may request PCR or rapid (ID Now) COVID-19 testing

ERIE COUNTY – The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) is reminding Erie County residents that they can seek free COVID-19 testing. ECDOH has updated its procedures to make rapid (ID Now) COVID-19 testing available to any resident on request. Previously, rapid COVID-19 testing was only available from ECDOH for individuals with COVID-19 symptoms or those with a known COVID-19 exposure.

“Between our Public Health Lab and our rapid test equipment at our 608 William Street clinic and the Erie County Emergency Operations and Training Center on Broadway, our department has a robust capacity to provide free, accessible COVID-19 testing,” said Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein. “Anyone who calls or walks in for COVID-19 testing may choose between our two test options. The COVID-19 PCR test is the most sensitive and most specific, and we provide the results within 1-3 business days. Or, the rapid COVID-19 test offers results in 15 minutes.”

The rapid COVID-19 testing option is available for travelers who require a negative test prior to departure, or people arriving back to Erie County after travel, especially to areas with high levels of COVID-19 transmission. Individuals can also access this free COVID-19 testing through ECDOH prior to visiting a nursing home or other long-term care facility. People with COVID-19 symptoms may opt for the rapid test, or for the PCR, which also screens for three other common respiratory viruses, influenza A, influenza B and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus).

ECDOH encourages Erie County residents to call the Erie County COVID-19 Information Line at (716) 858-2929 for an appointment, as this saves time at the testing site. However, walk-ins are welcome.

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Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) COVID-19 info: www.erie.gov/covid19
ECDOH, COVID-19 vaccine info & clinic schedule: www.erie.gov/vax
ECDOH, COVID-19 Information Line: (716) 858-2929 – foreign language interpretation available

New York State Department of Health, COVID-19 Boosters: http://ny.gov/boosters

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