Dozens line up for drive-thru COVID tests at Community Health Services

Daniel Carson, Fremont News-Messenger
·1 min read
Abby Berndt, RN, of Community Health Services, prepares to administer a Covid-19 test Friday. Dozens of local residents turned up at Community Health Services' main office, as the organization offered COVID-19 drive-thru testing at its Hayes Avenue site.
Abby Berndt, RN, of Community Health Services, prepares to administer a Covid-19 test Friday. Dozens of local residents turned up at Community Health Services' main office, as the organization offered COVID-19 drive-thru testing at its Hayes Avenue site.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

FREMONT — Dozens of local residents turned up at Community Health Services' main office Friday, as the organization offered COVID-19 drive-thru testing at its Hayes Avenue site.

Joe Liszak, CEO of Community Health Services, said Thursday CHS had about 60 slots available for residents who needed a self-administered test.

It marked the second time CHS had offered drive-thru testing this month, with 80 people showing up Jan. 14 at the organization's main Fremont office.

"These fill up really quick," Liszak said.

Liszak said CHS decided to host the drive-thru testing after hearing from local hospital officials about the increase in patients coming to the emergency rooms for COVID-19 testing.

By offering the drive-thru testing at the CHS main office, the organization hoped it would relieve some of the burden at the emergency rooms, Liszak said.

Liszak said CHS is going to evaluate on a week-by-week basis whether to continue offering drive-thru COVID testing.

He said CHS would likely continue offering it until the county's case numbers come down.

The Community Health Services main office, 2221 Hayes Avenue, held Covid-19 drive-thru testing on Friday. It marked the second time CHS had offered drive-thru testing this month, with 80 people showing up Jan. 14 at the organization's main Fremont office.
The Community Health Services main office, 2221 Hayes Avenue, held Covid-19 drive-thru testing on Friday. It marked the second time CHS had offered drive-thru testing this month, with 80 people showing up Jan. 14 at the organization's main Fremont office.

As of Friday afternoon, Sandusky County had recorded more than 13,000 cases and 200 deaths from COVID since the start of the pandemic, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

In the weeks following Christmas, the county's daily new cases have exceeded 160 several times.

Those daily case numbers have dropped slightly this week, with Sandusky County recording 88 new cases Thursday.

dacarson@gannett.com

419-334-1046

Twitter: @DanielCarson7

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Community Health Services performs drive-thru COVID-19 tests