State offering free coronavirus testing for people without symptoms

Vermont health officials are offering free COVID-19 testing at pop-up testing sites around the state for any Vermonters without symptoms. On Tuesday, 256 people had specimens collected for testing at a pop-up site in Bennington..

 According to the state's daily update, they will offer testing to health care workers, first responders (EMS, fire, and law enforcement), child care providers,   people returning to Vermont (on day 7 of their quarantine), and any other Vermonter without symptoms who wants to be tested.

The clinics are part of the state’s efforts to ramp up testing and prevent the spread of COVID-19. The test will tell you if you have a current infection. It is not a serology/antibody test, which means it will not tell you if you were infected in the past.

The clinics will be held from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. at the following locations:

  • Thursday, May 14: Brattleboro Union High School, 131 Fairground Road, Brattleboro
  • Saturday, May 16: Upper Valley Aquatic Center, 100 Arboretum Lane, White River Jct.
  • Saturday, May 16: Vermont Public Health Laboratory, 359 South Park Drive, Colchester

Additional sites are planned, with details to come:

Monday, May 18 – Rutland

Tuesday, May 19 – Barre

Wednesday, May 20 – Middlebury and St. Albans

Thursday, May 21 – Newport

Friday, May 22 – Springfield and Morrisville

Saturday, May 23 – St. Johnsbury

Please register for the clinics ahead of time at humanresources.vermont.gov/popups. No referral from a health care provider is needed for the pop-up sites.

Vermonters with who do have symptoms, even if they are mild, should call their health care provider to be referred to a testing site.

Quarantine Guidance for People Returning to Vermont: If you are a returning Vermonter ─ including those who spend winter outside of Vermont, second-home owners, college students ─ you are required to self-quarantine for 14 days.

If you are without COVID-19 symptoms at day 7 of your quarantine, you can be tested at one of the pop-up clinics being conducted around the state. If your test is negative, you can end your quarantine period, as long as you still have no symptoms.

Learn more at https://www.healthvermont.gov/covid19

Vermonters with mild symptoms of COVID-19 can be tested

All Vermonters with even mild symptoms are encouraged to call their health care provider to get tested. This includes parents of children who have symptoms that could be related to COVID-19.

Your provider will refer you to a hospital or health center near you for the free testing. The sites. If you don’t have a health care provider call 2-1-1 to connect with a community or hospital-connected clinic.

Know the symptoms associated with COVID-19.

In addition to fever, cough and shortness of breath, symptoms may include:

  • Chills
  • Repeated shaking with chills
  • Muscle pain
  • Headache
  • Sore throat
  • New loss of taste or smell

The state is relying on health care professionals to help achieve this important public health goal. Visit healthvermont.gov/covid19-providers for more information.

Find this update at healthvermont.gov/covid19 by clicking the “See the Latest Update” button.

Please visit the Vermont Department of Health’s updated COVID-19 web and data pages at healthvermont.gov/covid19.

The Deerfield Valley News

797 VT Route 100 North
Wilmington, VT 05363

Phone: 802-464-3388
Fax: 802-464-7255

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