Peabody Adds 2 March Coronavirus Testing Dates

PEABODY, MA —Peabody will offer two more free drive-thru coronavirus testing for residents in March.

Testing will be at Higgins Middle School on March 10 and March 24 from 4 to 7 p.m. Those being tested should bring proof of residency. Pre-registration can be done here.

Testing is encouraged for asymptomatic residents to get a better surveillance gauge of virus in the city. While Peabody's coronavirus cases are down over the past six weeks they have not fallen at the rate of most nearby communities, as the city remained one of only 19 communities statewide still designated "high risk" for community virus spread, according to this week's state report.

One reason for that, according to Peabody Director of Health and Human Services Sharon Cameron, is that fewer residents are being tested as numbers fall. The lack of asymptomatic residents being tested means that the symptomatic residents are more likely to test positive for the virus, and may result in those asymptomatic unknowingly spreading it.

"Social gatherings continue to play a significant role in contributing to cases in Peabody, as well as sports-related exposures and household exposures," Cameron told Patch last week.

Cameron said between 500 and 800 residents were tested around the holidays, but less than 150 showed up for February testing dates.

Recent state reports show 6,753 residents were tested in the last week of February compared to 10,267 residents the week ending Jan. 23. Cameron said that decline has been steady over the past six weeks.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)