As most of you know, our Health Center has been offering COVID-19 testing since early this Spring. But as the weather turned colder, we wrestled with the question of how to keep our staff comfortable outdoors in the back alley in inclement weather. COVID-19 testing is best done outdoors to limit the risk of transmission.
So, when we heard that Walgreens had been awarded a contract by the State of Maine to offer rapid testing, we were hopeful that we could pass the baton to another local facility that already has a drive thru set up. I reached out directly to the Chief Operating Officer of Walgreens, Alex Gourlay, requesting that the Boothbay Harbor Walgreens be one of 65 out of its 79 retail stores in Maine selected to offer rapid testing. I provided our statistics of the number of tests we had done since last March. I was rewarded within 24 hours with an email from Michael Umbleby, the Divisional VP, assuring me that the Boothbay Harbor Walgreens HAS been selected.
So, if you need a rapid test, particularly if you have reason to believe you might have been infected or if you have any symptoms, please call Walgreens (633-7023) to get a time slot for their simple drive thru testing. You go thru the same car line you would use to retrieve a prescription, but instead, you receive your testing kit.
You swab your own nose, put the swabs in the sealed container and receive your results within an hour via email or phone. Walgreens uses Abbott’s BinaxNOW rapid antigen point-of-care test. We’re grateful to Walgreen’s for offering this convenient on-peninsula service for Boothbay area residents, workers, and visitors!
Written by Patty Seybold, BRHC Board President
