Salem Coronavirus Test Sites Still 'Crucial' As Restrictions Lift

SALEM, MA — As coronavirus vaccinations expand, and virus-related restrictions continue to ease, testing remains what Gov. Charlie Baker this week called a "crucial surveillance tool" in mitigating any outbreaks across the state.

Because of that, Baker said on Wednesday the 35 free "Stop the Spread" testing sites across the state — including the two in Salem — will be open at least another three months through the end of September.

They had been scheduled to close in June if not extended.

"Stop the Spread has been a crucial part of the Commonwealth's testing success," Baker said. "More than 2.3 million tests have been conducted as part of that program alone. ... It remains an important tool in the battle against COVID."

Baker said 42,000 people were tested for the virus statewide on Tuesday — raising the total to more than 22 million tests administered since they began last spring.

"Testing remains a critical surveillance tool to keep the virus in check as we go forward," Baker said during his Wednesday news conference. "We thank people for continuing to get tested."

Drive-thru testing will remain open at Salem High School and walk-up testing will take place at Salem's Old Town Hall.

Next week, however, the Old Town Hall site will be temporarily relocated to the large first-floor meeting room in City Hall Annex at 98 Washington Street. Testing will take place Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be no testing on May 24.

The walk-up site will return to Old Town Hall the following week Monday through Friday.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance on Thursday — saying that vaccinated residents can safely remove their face masks both indoors and outdoors in most settings, the state still has a mask mandate for indoor businesses.

On Tuesday, the Salem Board of Health voted to lift the city's outdoor mask mandate for downtown areas and municipal parks.

The Salem State regional vaccination site also reopened this week. On Thursday, the Pfizer vaccine was made available to 12- through 15-year-olds after the CDC approved the vaccine for emergency authorized use in that age group.

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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.)

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