New COVID Testing Site Announced In Howard County For Employees

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A new testing site for workers to be operated by Ally Health at the Roger Carter Community Center will help expedite COVID-19 testing in Howard County. The facility will be open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

“We are aware of the limited capacity at testing sites and workforce shortages that have made it very difficult for our residents to get tested,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said at a news conference Tuesday. “There is an urgent need for quick and effective testing for our community – especially for workers of essential service providers such as our schools, libraries, college, government, courts and more. If we want services, classes and programs to continue, we need healthy employees and families – and that begins with available testing. We know that testing is so vital to fighting this pandemic and our actions today a critical step to keep the essential services we rely open and safe.”

The employee testing site will offer PCR and rapid tests and will be vital to relieve capacity issues at other testing locations, Ball noted. Howard County’s COVID-19 metrics has reached all-time highs with a positivity rate of 27.8 percent and a case rate of 185 cases per 100,000 people. Howard County reported more than 4,000 new COVID-19 cases in the last week – compared to about 280 cases the first week of December. According to the Maryland Department of Health, 14 percent of Howard County residents remain unvaccinated, including residents 4 and under, and 7 percent of residents have only received one dose. Approximately 42 percent of residents have not yet received a booster shot. Since vaccinations for children started in November, more than 40 percent of 5- to 11-year-olds still need their first dose; 60 percent are yet to be fully vaccinated.

"Partnerships like the one announced today are important because they expand access to testing for essential workers," Howard County Health Officer Dr. Maura Rossman said at the news conference. "We should also make sure we are fully vaccinated with a booster shot, wearing our masks indoors when out in public, avoiding large gatherings and staying home if we are feeling sick."

Lynn Coleman, interim president of Howard Community College, said the new testing initiative will give Howard Community College employees "much-needed hope and peace of mind as they continue to navigate this pandemic and strive to keep themselves and their families healthy and safe."

Tonya Aikens, president & CEO of Howard County Library System, added that access to COVID-19 testing for library employees and household family members helps "reduce the spread of the virus, keeping our staff and community healthy and helping to ensure continued access to the library classes, events and resources our customers who depend on them for their learning and pandemic recovery needs.”

Howard County Sheriff Marcus Harris pointed out that members of his office are in constant daily contact with the public, so this initiative will help strengthen his deputies and staff.

“Allowing our members to be tested on a regular basis without delay will ensure that we can continue to perform our duties to the community," he said.