Princeton Community Hospital continues drive-thru testing

PRINCETON, WV (WOAY) – As the COVID-19 pandemic ravages the country, many communities are still without access to testing.

Testing has been slowly been shelved out to communities in Southern West Virginia. Citizens of Princeton are now able to be tested if they have a doctor’s order.

Rose Morgan, Vice President at Patient Care Services at Princeton Community Hospital, says the drive-thru testing is not just convenient, but also safe.

“They don’t have to get out, they don’t have to register, they don’t have to walk to another location within the hospital. So it’s very convenient but it also helps decrease the potential spread of this virus,” she said.

For extra measures, physicians and nurses wear protective gloves, masks and face shields. Tests are administered for as long as the county has them available, although the number of tests available isn’t very direct.

“We don’t have an exact number of tests right now. It is a changing landscape in terms of what the state has available.”

Morgan also mentioned that testing is only just beginning and Southern West Virginia has a long way to go before it catches up to the number of tests other regions have conducted. On Monday, Princeton tested 10 people. The number will likely rise throughout the week.

Tests are not free, but are low cost. For uninsured individuals they cost around $60, but that is not including administrative, time and laboratory costs. The true amount it costs to be tested will likely be different depending on many factors like which hospital does the test and which insurance you use.

Testing at Princeton Community Hospital will continue at least until this Friday at 2 P.M. 

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