Same Day COVID Test To Open In Chestnut Hill

UPDATE: Two months after announcing the planned testing, the company said it still hasn't opened a site at the Shop, or elsewhere. "We don’t have an opening date," a spokesperson said in an email Jan. 22. None of the November proposed test sites have been opened, they added.

CHESTNUT HILL, MA — Amid a surge in the number of coronavirus cases in town and across the state, the Shops at Chestnut Hill are now set to offer a same-day coronavirus test site in town.

QuestCap, an investment company, is behind the proposed rapid testing lab and announced Nov. 5, it would be coming soon to some nine area malls, including the Shops.

The lab is designed to test up to 150 people per day, and the company will charge between $59 and $179 for antibody and antigen tests, according to the website.

Tests should take about 10 minutes to administer and the company will get results back to you within 24 hours, via text or email, they said. They will also provide a certificate of good health via a HIPAA-compliant smartphone application.

The company did not specify when the testing would begin, but referred those interested to the website where it would handle appointments and payment: www.testbeforeyougo.com.

An email to the company on Nov. 5 asking for an estimated opening of the test site was not returned. But on Jan. 21, 2021 a spokesperson for the company emailed to say that none of the testing had yet begun.

On Wednesday, some 1,629 people tested positive for the virus, the highest one-day increase since May. Also as of Wednesday, 1,151 people in Newton have tested positive since the pandemic began. Of those 142 people have died, according to city data.

The spike came after a week of daily increases of at least 1,000 positive tests across the state, followed by two days of lower numbers. Officials also announced 27 new deaths on Wednesday, which took Massachusetts' death toll to 10,062 since the pandemic began.

Other nearby test sites:

• Mass General Brigham Urgent Care on Beacon Street in Coolidge Corner requires in-network referrals, and it accepts MassHealth. Call: 617-724-7000.
• PhysicianOne Urgent Care in Chestnut Hill does not require a referral, accepts MassHealth but does not have free testing for the uninsured. 617-608-3215

Jenna Fisher is a news reporter for Patch. Got a tip? She can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how