Vermont plans to phase out its state-run Covid-19 testing sites in the coming weeks, Health Commissioner Mark Levine announced at a press conference Tuesday.
Most sites will close down during the month of June, he said. After that, Vermonters seeking a PCR, LAMP or antigen test will be able to get one only through pharmacies or health care providers.
“We are fortunate that home testing supplies are widely available, and we are committed to this remaining as convenient and free as it is now,” Levine said.
PCR and LAMP tests are considered slightly more accurate than antigen tests, but PCR tests must be administered by a health care professional and can take days to return results. Antigen tests — also called take-home tests — are still considered very accurate by most experts and return results within an hour. LAMP tests can also be self-administered.
The state-run testing sites have operated since March 2020 and have provided the bulk of the more than 3.6 million tests the state has reported since then, primarily via PCR tests, according to the health department’s Covid-19 dashboard. At the height of the pandemic in January, state-run sites were providing more than 10,000 tests per day, but that rate has fallen to around 3,000 tests per day in recent months.
Thirty sites are currently in operation, according to the health department.
Officials have noted since late 2021 that the rise in antigen tests available at pharmacies and other locations may be causing an undercount in the official case numbers, which rely on PCR testing data.
The health department began to offer LAMP tests and take-home antigen test kits at state sites beginning in March.
Vermont also closed down most state-run vaccine clinics in March, relying on health care providers and pharmacies to provide vaccines to most Vermonters. Some walk-in vaccine clinics remain listed on the health department website.
However, some countries still require international visitors to test negative via PCR before entering the country. PCR tests, rather than rapid antigen tests, are also recommended for children under 2.
Levine said Tuesday that Vermonters could find PCR tests at some health care providers and pharmacies.
All tests provided at state-run testing sites are provided free of charge, regardless of a person’s insurance. For pharmacies and providers’ offices, Levine said that commercial insurers and Medicaid will cover up to eight tests per month.
Federal officials on Monday announced that a third round of free rapid tests would be available to all U.S. households via covidtests.gov.
The department has been referring people who are “having trouble accessing testing,” such as uninsured people, to federally qualified health centers, free clinics or local health department offices, Levine said.
The health department recommends that people get tested if they have symptoms of Covid, or if they are not up to date on vaccinations and are a close contact of someone who has tested positive.
Levine said that early testing is an important element of treatment strategies, such as antiviral treatments for high-risk Vermonters. Antiviral medications such as Paxlovid are shown to prevent hospitalization when taken soon after the onset of symptoms.
Vermont received 4,000 courses of antiviral treatments this week, Levine said.
“Don’t think you’re saving this valuable and highly effective treatment for someone who may be more needy, because we currently have a plentiful supply through the state,” he said.
