State closing Mohegan Sun Arena testing site May 29

WILKES-BARRE TWP. — The state has notified the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza that it will be shutting down the COVID-19 testing site there on May 29 and the entire operation will be off-site by May 31.

Will Beekman, general manager for ASM Global at the arena, confirmed the report Thursday.

“We have been informed that the testing site is scheduled to shut down after May 29 and will be off-site by the end of day on May 31,” Beekman said.

It was not immediately clear why, and state Health Department officials did not respond to a request for comment prior to press time.

Gary Zingaretti, chairman of the Luzerne County Convention Center Authority that oversees the area, also confirmed the closing.

In an email Zingaretti said, “Yes it is true. Testing to end after May 29, they will be off-site by end of day May 31.”

State confirms closure

The Wolf Administration Friday announced it will close the COVID-19 public testing site at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza on Friday, May 29.

Since the site opened on April 20, 2,048 residents have been tested for COVID-19 — 31 symptomatic residents were tested at the site on Thursday.

“We are very pleased with the success of the site and that we were able to provide necessary testing to citizens of Northeast Pennsylvania,” Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said. “However, it is time we redirect these resources to other areas of our state that are in need of assistance in this pandemic. The department will continue to work with other testing sites located across the commonwealth with the goal of making testing accessible to any symptomatic resident in Pennsylvania.”

Out of the 2,048 symptomatic residents who were tested at the site so far, more than 7 percent were positive with COVID-19.

The testing site will continue to test any symptomatic Pennsylvania resident through 4 p.m. on May 29. If individuals want to be tested after May 29, there are other testing sites located in northeast Pennsylvania.

The drive-thru site opened on April 19, administering tests daily, except on Sundays. The site provides testing for symptomatic first responders, health care workers and residents 65 or older throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.

State Sen. John Yudichak, I-Swoyersville, opposed the state’s decision to open the testing site at the arena from the beginning.

“While I appreciate the dedicated professionals from the various state and local agencies who worked at the COVID-19 testing site at the Mohegan Sun Arena, the Department of Health’s poor planning and coordination with local leaders prevented the site from being an effective use of state resources to improve community-wide testing for the coronavirus,” Yudichak said.

“I am grateful that the Department of Health is now changing course and deploying the Pennsylvania National Guard along with additional state resources to assist our nursing homes which have been the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic since early March.”