Swampscott To 'Scale Back' Coronavirus Testing In January

SWAMPSCOTT, MA —At a time when coronavirus cases are going up regionally and statewide, Swampscott is "scaling back" its resident testing program in January.

The town cited "limited funding" for going from daily testing to two days in the first week of January.

There is no testing for the remainder of this week because of the New Year's holiday.

Next week, testing will be Jan. 6 from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. and Jan. 9 from 8 a.m. to noon.

"We know how crucial testing is, and we are working hard to determine how we can continue to offer this opportunity for our residents," the town posted on its official social media site.

Residents who cannot make one of the two Swampscott sites are advised to get tested at one of the area "Stop the Spread" sites - including the two sites in Salem.

Last week, Swampscott crossed the threshold into being considered a "high risk" town for community coronavirus spread, according to that week's state report.

Virus metrics were higher across the board in the town with 73.4 cases per 100,000 residents — a key metric the state uses for a "high risk" community — and a positive test rate of 5.24 percent.

The town reported 175 new positive tests over the past 14 days leading up to Dec. 18, according to the state report.

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