The Huntingdon County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and the county commissioners have started a program to allow the county’s first responders to receive free COVID testing.
County EMA director Joe Thompson explained the criteria for testing for first responders.
“The no-cost testing is now available for three situations,” he said. “The first priority will be for EMS providers who develop symptoms after a high-risk exposure with a patient with COVID-19.” High-risk exposure situations include a prolonged contact, which is considered longer than 15 minutes, with a COVID-positive patient who was not wearing a mask and the EMS provider was not wearing a higher-level mask or full personal protective equipment (PPE) for any period of time during a procedure where aerosols from the patient could have emerged.
Testing is also offered to EMS providers, including firefighters and law enforcement, who have had a high-risk exposure and are experiencing symptoms.