Samaritan closing drive-up COVID testing site Saturday

WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - Watertown’s Samaritan Medical Center will no longer require COVID-19 testing prior to outpatient surgery. Plus, Samaritan’s drive-up testing site will close.

The changes go into effect this Saturday.

SMC says COVID testing is still required for surgical patients who have symptoms or who are staying in the hospital after their operation.

Testing can also be ordered at the provider’s discretion.

Those patients will test on the day of scheduled surgery upon arrival and admission to the hospital.

All patients will be screened for any COVID-19 symptoms before the procedure.

Any patient that is sick or ill will be rescheduled for their surgery.

As a result of the change, Samaritan’s drive-up testing site at 1575 Washington Street will close effective April 1.

Other testing sites are available at local pharmacies as well as the North Country Family Health Center.

For a full listing of community-based COVID-19 testing sites, visit www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/community-based-testing-sites.

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