State-Run Coronavirus Test Site In Smithfield To Close June 27

SMITHFIELD, RI — The state-run COVID-19 test site in Smithfield will close after a final day of testing on June 27, said Gov. Dan McKee and the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) in an announcement Monday.

The site, located at Smithfield VFW at 47 Farnum Pike, is one of 14 sites shutting down as the state shifts its pandemic response. By the end of June, only 25 fixed test sites will be open in Rhode Island.

According to health officials, the closures are part of the state's effort to bring COVID-19 testing to the most vulnerable people in the state. This includes schools, communities with low vaccination rates, travel destinations, and outbreak centers.

There has also been an overall decrease in the need for testing as the state's vaccination rates increase. The state is currently testing approximately 50,000 people per week, about 75,000 fewer than the number of people being tested each week back in April.

A full list of COVID-19 test sites can be found here.