Delaware County Expanding Coronavirus Testing Availability

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — Officials in Delaware County said testing for coronavirus will now be more widely available thanks to the partnership with Chester County.

The Delaware County Council announced Tuesday more coronavirus testing sites, including a mobile unit testing site, are being added in the county.

These additional options expand diagnostic testing access for residents whether they have health insurance.

Currently, there are two ways in which a resident can be tested for COVID-19 in Delaware County:

• A resident can contact his/her primary care physician. The physician will screen the patient and order the test and direct the patient to a testing site at a local health care system.
• If a resident does not have a primary care physician, he/she can contact the Chester County Health Department at 610-344-6225 and select option 4. The Chester County Health Department will determine if the resident qualifies for testing based on specific criteria. Residents who meet the testing criteria will be given instructions on when and where to be tested.

The Chester County Health Department does not provide the results of any tests. The referring physician will provide the patient with the test results and guidance, and if the patient does not have a primary care physician, the Chester County Health Department will arrange for a health center to provide results. The Chester County Health Department provides contact tracing of positive cases and additional follow up.

ChesPenn, the federally qualified Health Center in Delaware County that serves low income and medically underserved communities will begin testing their patients and those who may not have a primary care physician in the near future.

ChesPenn has two locations in Delaware County: 125 E. 9th St. in Chester and 5 S. State Road in Upper Darby. Both locations are being planned as testing sites

More information on COVID-19 testing at the ChesPenn locations is expected to be released this week.

Additionally, a mobile testing unit will be available in communities with the greatest need for testing.

Dates of locations of the mobile testing unit have yet to be determined, but officials said to expect a schedule this week.

Private organizations including the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium and Rite Aid Pharmacies are also offering testing.

The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium is hosting a a free one-day testing site on Tuesday, May 12 from to 4 p.m in the parking lot of the Laborers' Local 413, 22 Penn St. in Chester. The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium is a volunteer group comprised of doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals. They have been offering COVID-19 testing in the Philadelphia region. Residents are encouraged to register prior to the event. Testing supplies are limited and testing is on a first come-first serve basis.

The federal government contracted with Rite Aid to provide free self-swab testing at some Rite Aid Pharmacies. Residents can be tested at the Rite Aid Pharmacy in Prospect Park, 762 Chester Pike, Prospect Park. Rite Aid expanding COVID-19 testing criteria at all testing sites to include adults who are not exhibiting any symptoms of the virus, effective immediately in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. All Rite Aid COVID-19 testing locations utilize self-swab nasal tests overseen by Rite Aid pharmacists. Patients are required to provide government-issued identification, be at least 18 years old, and need to pre-register online here to schedule a time slot for testing.