GREEN, Ohio — A self-swab drive-through coronavirus testing site is scheduled to open Wednesday at the Rite Aid on South Main Street in Green.
The location will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. As many as 200 tests each day will be conducted through on-line appointments.
Rite Aid is opening several COVID-19 test sites across the state, including locations in Parma and Girard near Youngstown.
All of the testing spots will utilize self-swab nasal tests overseen by Rite Aid pharmacists.
"The pharmacist will explain to them how to swab each nostril for 15 seconds and then they will place it in the test tube, give it back to the pharmacist and they're on their way," said Bryce Norman, a regional pharmacy manager.
The testing will take place in each store's parking lot. People must remain in their vehicles.
Donna Skoka, health commissioner for Summit County Public Health, said the number of people tested at the Green site, along with the number of positive cases, will be reported to the agency.
Skoda says it's unclear how accurate this type of testing will be and pointed out that one potential concern is that people will not swab their nostrils properly.
"We just don't have any wide-scale self-swabbing testing," Skokda said, "We don't know unless we try it and so I think trying it will maybe give us the information that we need."
There is no cost to testing which is available to individuals who meet criteria established by the CDC. Patients are required to provide government issued identification, be at least 18 years old and need to pre-register online in order to schedule a time slot.
