Special to Atmore News
The Alabama Department of Public Health continues to encourage COVID-19 vaccines and boosters in addition to testing and treatment. A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Testing Locator website allows the public to search and locate free COVID-19 testing sites near them. The site locator is part of the CDC Increasing Community Access to Testing program which focuses on communities at a greater risk of being impacted by the pandemic.
Tests offered may include laboratory-based nucleic acid amplification tests, including polymerase chain reaction tests and rapid antigen point-of-care testing. Results are typically provided within 24–48 hours. Testing is available at pharmacies, commercial laboratory sites, community sites and retail locations.
COVID-19 testing is available at no cost at these sites to people with or without health insurance who are experiencing symptoms or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. The tests are billed to third-party payers, such as Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurers. People without health insurance do not have to pay for COVID-19 testing at these locations.
County health departments also offer COVID-19 testing. Consumers can access the Testing Locator at https://testinglocator.cdc.gov/.
To find vaccine sites near you, visit https://www.vaccines.gov/.