WESTBROOK – Federal investment that provides a loose COVID-19 check will continue until the end of the year, and city officials are confident that more budget will be maintained until 2021.
Funding, which reimburses the city for each test, will expire on October 31, but fire chief Andrew Turcotte, who is also the city’s fitness manager, said Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services extended the budget until “at least December. “31. »
“At this point, we are sure that we will continue to get a budget after the new year,” Turcotte.
Managed through the fireplace department, Westbrook Swab and Send at Westbook Public Safety, 570 Main St. , manages more than a hundred tests according to the day. More than 6,000 loose tests have been conducted since it opened on August 3. The average is about one hundred patients a day, Turcotte said.
“This has been a valuable resource to have here online, allowing network members to relate to each other with proper, loose evidence,” Mayor Mike Foley said.
The site has noticed other people from all over the state and five continents, Turcotte said, many running or traveling in the region. Although the rate of transmission is low, with a positive verification rate of 1 in 500 among all patients, verification is still vital for other people traveling or simply to calm down on the pandemic, Turcotte said.
Only 25% of the tests were conducted on Westbrook residents, Turcotte said. There were approximately 350 cases of COVID-19 generally reported in the city over 18975 (population according to the highest recent knowledge of the US Census Bureau). U. S. 2018).
If the investment will continue next year in several variables, Turcotte said.
“First, if there’s any budget left. Otherwise, we are not sure whether more investment mechanisms will be available,” Turcotte said. “I think it all depends on whether we get more federal investment for those important programs. I also believe that the number of new and active instances will dictate this as well. “
Turcotte was unable to provide the fee for each test, but stated that other places outside the program charged between $75 and $200 according to the test.
“So while I expect test sites to continue to make investments, at this point, it’s all hypotheses about whether we’ll see more investment flows available,” he said. “[The choice) will in fact tell us a lot. “
To make an appointment, solvhealth. com.