Hanover increases free COVID-19 testing capacity, extends hours

Wheeler Cowperthwaite, The Patriot Ledger
·2 min read

HANOVER – The town is expanding its free COVID-19 testing, adding more hours at its site.

Hanover has been offering free COVID-19 testing during much of the pandemic through its Mobile Integrated Health program, which has also provided testing to students and faculty in the school system.

The drive-through testing, done at the Sylvester School building, has been extended to noon. Testing starts at 9:30 every day.

The big testing site list: Here's where you can get a COVID-19 test on the South Shore

Appointments need to be made online through the town's website. Residents must register by 6 a.m. the day of testing and registration is available for appointments up to two weeks in advance, according to the website, hanover-ma.org.

Staff will verify a Hanover residence at the entrance to the drive-through testing site at 495 Hanover St.

Tests results are usually available in 24 to 36 hours.

Hanover firefighter/paramedic Thomas Duggan takes a sample from a resident at a drive-thru COVID test site for residents on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020.
Hanover firefighter/paramedic Thomas Duggan takes a sample from a resident at a drive-thru COVID test site for residents on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020.

Across the South Shore, testing has been in short supply.The only free testing sites for all residents, in Brockton and Randolph, have been overwhelmed.

The Patriot Ledger has curated a list of all known testing sites on the South Shore and their costs.

The number of COVID-19 cases across the South Shore rose slightly in the latest weekly report from the state Department of Public Health released Thursday.

The total number of cases for the two weeks from Jan. 2 through Jan. 15 was 20,490, up from 20,326 from a week earlier for an increase of 0.8%.

Jan. 21, 2022: 'It is not off limits to anyone': South Shore COVID-19 cases still increasing, state says

Statewide, there were 14,384 new cases reported on Thursday, bringing the total for the pandemic to 1,404,214. There were 86 new deaths reported, bringing the total for the pandemic to 20,782.

Those numbers don't include at-home tests.

Hanover offers Moderna booster shots on Jan. 24

Hanover is offering Moderna booster shots on Monday, Jan. 24, from 1 to 3 p.m., for anyone whose last shot was at least six months ago.

Registration for the booster clinic is online at the state's registration website, home.color.com/vaccine.

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Reporter Fred Hanson contributed to this report. Reach reporter Wheeler Cowperthwaite at wcowperthwaite@patriotledger.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Hanover expands free COVID testing for residents