April 1, 2020

UPDATE: The Philadelphia Department of Public Health announces a new testing site.
Located in Center City, the site is open 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. by appointment only.
It is not drive-thru, but easily accessible.
The eligibility is the same as Citizens Bank Park: age 50+ with symptoms or a healthcare worker with symptoms.
Call (267) 491- 5870 for information.

 

March 20, 2020

PHILADELPHIA – The City of Philadelphia, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, is opening a drive-through site to provide COVID-19 coronavirus testing to identified members of the public. The Community Based Testing Site, located at Citizens Bank Park, will be open daily from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. beginning Friday, March 20, 2020. The site will be open every day during those hours as long as supplies allow.

While the Community Based Testing Site is open to the public, there are strict eligibility criteria for admission and testing. A doctor’s note or prescription is not needed to be eligible. Based on limited testing capacity, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health is restricting eligibility for testing at this site to the following groups of people:

  • People who are over 50 years of age AND are displaying symptoms consistent with COVID-19 coronavirus.
  • Healthcare workers who are displaying symptoms consistent with COVID-19 coronavirus, including:
    • Hospital and doctors office staff with direct patient contact
    • Nursing home staff with direct patient contact
    • People who perform Emergency Medical Services duties
    • Home healthcare staff with direct patient contact

The City recommends that anyone who has the following symptoms of COVID-19 coronavirus call their regular healthcare provider to identify other sites to be tested for coronavirus.

Most common symptoms of COVID-19 coronavirus:

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath

For those in either group eligible for testing, entry into the site is only open to people in four-wheel, closed-top, non-commercial, non-recreational vehicles. Walk-ins will not be permitted access to the site.

Due to staffing and supply limitations, people who do not meet the criteria listed above will be turned away. Should testing capacity be increased, the Health Department will expand these criteria.

People who meet the eligibility criteria and are seeking to be tested should bring the following items to ensure a smooth admission and testing process. Note that these items are NOT required to be tested, but will help ease processing and data collection at the site.

  • Government-issued identification card
  • Healthcare facility identification card, if applicable
  • Insurance card

Citizens Bank Park is located at 1 Citizens Bank Way, Philadelphia, PA 19148. Entry to the site will be via Pattison Avenue. Drivers should travel south on 7th Street and turn right on Pattison Avenue. Philadelphia Police will be on-scene coordinating traffic.

The site will be staffed and run by City of Philadelphia employees and volunteers from the City’s Medical Reserve Corps. The U.S. federal government is providing supplies to the City for this site, and is coordinating the delivery of and payment for the tests, and will notify people of their test results.

Stay updated on important information regarding the testing site and other COVID-19 news by texting COVIDPHL to 888-777 and by visiting the city’s official coronavirus page.

MEDIA ACCESS
Media will be given pool access to the site from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m. Pool information will be updated on Friday directing media where they can obtain video and photos. A representative of the Office of Emergency Management will coordinate pool access (6ABC will provide video, and the Philadelphia Inquirer will provide still photography. Media should coordinate directly with these outlets). Pool reporters will be given a tour of the site and have the opportunity to talk with select staff preparing for the opening.

At 1:45 p.m., Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley and a site staff member will offer remarks and answer questions about the site’s functions and goals. This media availability will take place at the northwest corner of Citizens Bank Way and Pattison Avenue. Media are asked to protect the health information and privacy of individuals visiting the site by not publishing images of license plates, faces, or other identifying marks.

The site tour for the media pool and Dr. Farley’s media availability at the Community Based Testing Site are not replacing today’s regularly scheduled media briefing at City Hall at 1:00 p.m. Details on that press conference are available HERE. 

Due to the high volume of press requests related to COVID-19, members of the media are asked to hold all City-related questions for those daily briefings. Emailed press questions should go to press@phila.gov.

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