It was back in October of 2020, when Broome County first opened a mobile testing unit following a surge in cases, but as numbers dropped, the rapid testing site was closed down in March.

Now, with close to 700 positive cases more than six months later, employees are back at it, getting the site ready to offer testing once again.

“We immediately identified there’s an overwhelming need in this community for rapid tests, so the Broome County executive's office made the determination that we need to stand this test back up to address this need within the community,” said Pat Dewing, Broome County Emergency Services director.

When the testing site was first opened last year, Pat Dewing was the site manager. Now, he’s taken over the role of emergency services director, overseeing any emergency situation within the county, and right now, COVID-19 is still one of the biggest threats.  

At this site, four stations are capable of running eight rapid tests at a time.

“Behind the curtain here is where we’re actually going to have a lab. This is where all the swabs are passed over, and they’re run through a lab. It’s a 15-minute test, so we’ll have results within 15 minutes,” said Dewing.

A tent in the parking lot of the Broome County Health Department was designed to keep things moving quickly and provide a safe alternative to both the public and the employees.

It’s already provided hundreds of tests since opening.

“The safety of both our employees and all visitors are of paramount concern for us, so we equip everyone inside the tent here with n95s. We also have an air scrubber here. This circulates the air and purifies the air throughout the entire shift,” said Dewing.

Right now, the county isn’t allowing for walk-ups, but making an appointment is easier than ever.

“We have these cards with the QR code on there. Patrons can go and scan the QR code and instantly register for a rapid test,” said Dewing.

Dewing says the county has no plans of taking the site down for the time being.