Onondaga County families stuck waiting for test results from national labs in order to send their kids back to school will now have another option. County Executive Ryan McMahon announced a new testing site will open at the Hamilton Street Boys and Girls Club. It will specifically serve asymptomatic students and school staff who are waiting on a negative COVID test to get back into the classroom.
McMahon says the tests taken at that site in the morning should return results by the evening of that same day.
“The negative test should suffice to let the child into the building. You do not need a doctor’s note and a negative test. We’re ruling out COVID here. Our pediatricians are getting these types of requests, and that’s a strain on our medical infrastructure as well.”
This option is only for students and staff that are asymptomatic. Individuals who have symptoms should utilize another testing site in the community.
McMahon hopes that adding this testing site will help keep the coronavirus out of schools and alleviate some of the struggles families are facing associated with the negative test requirements.
The site will be open from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday through Friday, and appointments are required. You can make an appointment on the county’s website.