Framingham Losing Coronavirus Testing Site — Again

FRAMINGHAM, MA — The options for free coronavirus testing in Framingham will narrow — again — on Wednesday, the last day for walk-up testing at the South Middlesex Opportunity (SMOC) office along Bishop Street.

The coronavirus testing scene in Framingham has been in turmoil this December with the state closing two Stop the Spread sites and consolidating them into one site that requires test-takers to have access to a car and internet service.

On Dec. 11, Stop the Spread testing sites at the TJX headquarters and SMOC closed. That same week, the state opened a high-capacity testing site on Framingham State University property at 484 Franklin St. That site, run by Project Beacon, requires test-takers to register for appointments online, and tests are drive-thru only.

Framingham reopened the SMOC site with federal stimulus dollars the week of Dec. 16, and is for city residents only. The site was never guaranteed to remain open, city officials have said. The last round of tests will be conducted Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the 7 Bishop St. site.

Meanwhile, the Project Beacon site is only open on Wednesday with limited appointments available. Due to the holiday, testing won't be available on Thursday or Friday, New Year's Day.

There are about a dozen private facilities offering tests in the Framingham area. But requirements vary between locations, and some do not provide free tests for people without health insurance. See the state Department of Public Health's COVID-19 testing map for details.

Framingham added 75 new cases over the weekend and one new COVID-19 death. The number of new cases per 100,000 people dropped over the weekend to about 56 per day, down from 69 one week ago.