ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan on Wednesday announced that the state will further expand its drive-thru COVID-19 testing program by opening a new site on Thursday, May 14 at the Carroll County Agriculture Center in Westminster.
The Ag Center site will be the first state-sponsored, community-based testing site in Carroll County, increasing the testing options available to area residents.
Governor Hogan recently announced an expanded testing strategy focused on high-priority outbreaks and clusters, including nursing homes, health care workers, and first responders as well as community-based testing—which entails the expansion of drive-thru sites and mass testing sites in areas experiencing outbreaks.
“Expanding testing capacity is one of the critical building blocks of our recovery plan,” said Governor Hogan. “Drive-thru testing provides an easily accessible option for many citizens, and we now have the resources to continue to expand these sites throughout the state. I am pleased to see this model being used in a facility like the Carroll County Ag Center because it represents the expansion of our community-based testing program to new locations with new testing models.”
With the addition of the Ag Center site, there will be a total of nine drive-thru, community-based testing sites operated by the Maryland Department of Health (MDH). The full list of these testing sites will include the Carroll County Ag Center as well as converted VEIP stations in Bel Air (Harford County), Columbia (Howard County), Glen Burnie (Anne Arundel County), Hagerstown (Washington County) Owings Mills (Baltimore County), Prince Frederick (Calvert County), Waldorf (Charles County), and White Oak (Montgomery County).
In the Nottingham area, testing is being offered by the Patient First located on Belair Road (21236). The Patient First site is not operated by MDH.
Tests will be offered on an appointment-only basis to Maryland residents who demonstrate symptoms of COVID-19. Patients must have a health care provider order and an appointment to be tested at the Ag Center and other state-run sites.
In order to schedule a COVID-19 testing appointment at a state-run site, individuals should first call a health care provider. Health care providers will assist patients in ordering and scheduling a test using CRISP, the state’s health information exchange. Patients cannot order tests for themselves.
MDH operates community-based testing sites in conjunction with the Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland National Guard, Maryland State Police, local health departments, and private partners. There are also several additional, non-MDH testing sites throughout the state being operated by local governments and private organizations. In order to schedule a testing appointment at a non-MDH testing site, contact the site directly.
For information and resources regarding COVID-19, visit coronavirus.maryland.gov.
