Dollar General stores — 2 in Hampton Roads — to offer COVID-19 testing through federal pilot program
Two Dollar General stores in Hampton Roads, one in Norfolk and another in Williamsburg, are offering rapid antigen tests to as part of a pilot program to expand access for COVID-19 testing in vulnerable communities.
On Thursday, the federally-supported program started to administer free 15-minute tests at participating locations — including another in Altavista — with incentives including a $10 Visa gift card or a complementary pair of face masks from The CDC Foundation, Virginia’s health department said in a news release.
“Testing is an important tool to identify individuals who are asymptomatic and to monitor trends in the infection, which is essential in stopping the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Parham Jaberi, Virginia’s chief deputy health commissioner.
As of Friday, daily cases are down roughly 78% from last month with Virginia reporting about 200 new cases each day. Only 2.6% of COVID-19 tests came back positive for the second week in a row.
The testing program is a part of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Increasing Community Access to Testing initiative. Healthcare providers will perform the nasal swab test on selected dates throughout this month until June 23.
The following local Dollar General stores are partnering with the health department. Both locations will perform tests from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m on the dates listed below:
Dollar General at 4008 E. Little Creek Road, Norfolk,
Monday, June 7 - Wednesday, June 9
Monday, June 14 - Wednesday June 16
Monday, June 21 - Wednesday, June 23
Dollar General at 8766 Pocahontas Trail, Williamsburg
Thursday, June 10 - Sunday, June 13
Thursday, June 17 - Sunday, June 20
Sierra Jenkins, 229-462-8896, sierra.jenkins@virginiamedia.com
