BALTIMORE — Three Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program centers around Maryland have been converted into drive-through testing facilities for the coronavirus.
The test sites open on April 1. The sites are located at following Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program stations:
- Glen Burnie in Anne Arundel County
- Waldorf in Charles County
- Bel Air in Harford County
The Maryland Department of Health is operating the sites in Glen Burnie and Waldorf, in conjunction with the Charles County and Anne Arundel County health departments. Both sites are open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
"Right now, there is no vaccine and no treatment for this disease. We are focused on testing people who really need it and by using these sites, we can allow them to be tested away from busy emergency rooms, urgent care centers, and physicians' offices," Deputy Secretary of Public Health Fran Phillips said.
The Bel Air location is operated by the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health and the Harford County Health Department. It's open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.
"As the number of cases rise in Maryland, we are opening these sites to keep pace with the demand for testing. These sites are for residents who are symptomatic and in high-risk categories for developing serious illness," Gov. Larry Hogan said. "Like every other state in the nation, we simply do not have enough testing supplies. We need to use our resources wisely."
To qualify for testing at a VEIP site, officials say individuals must:
- Meet the testing criteria as determined by a licensed healthcare provider
- Obtain an order for testing from a healthcare provider
- Register online and make an appointment at a test site
"People with no symptoms, or who are mildly ill do not need testing. Most people who get this virus can recover at home with rest, fluids and over-the-counter fever reducers," Phillips added.
In the weeks ahead, officials said that COVID-19 test sites and hours will be determined based on demand and the availability of supplies. Once individuals have a confirmed order from a healthcare provider, they will receive a unique code they can use to make an appointment at the closest available testing site.
The two Department of Health-run sites will use an appointment process operated by CRISP, Maryland's health information system.
The University of Maryland site continues to use the existing scheduling process that requires the physician practice to schedule appointments via a scheduling hotline.