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HOLLIDAYSBURG -- The state Department of Health may provide Blair County with additional COVID-19 testing resources in light of increasing positive test results.
Public Safety Director Mark Taylor told commissioners Tuesday that the state is asking if the county is interested in contracted testing services.
The state holds a contract with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare to set up COVID-19 testing sites in designated Pennsylvania communities. It's the department's belief, according to its announcements, that more testing in a community will help determine the prevalence of the virus and steps for control.
As of Friday, the state has worked with AMI Expeditionary to set up drive-thru and indoor testing clinics in Centre, Huntingdon, Indiana and other counties, at no charge to those being tested.
Blair County residents currently have access to COVID-19 testing services at UPMC Altoona's testing site, the MedExpress Urgent Care Center and at the Van Zandt VA Medical Center, all along Pleasant Valley Boulevard.
Commissioners offered no immediate response to Taylor's report of the state's inquiry that is likely to be reviewed by others, including the county's COVID-19 task force.
Taylor said the county's COVID-19 task force, organized in March, continues to meet regularly to monitor conditions and consider options.
Local hospitals, whose representatives are part of the task force, are now serving their highest amounts of COVID-19 patients, yet doing fine with the resources, Taylor said.
Those same hospitals, he added, have plans in place to open up areas to accommodate more patients, if they are needed.
In response to the report, commissioners Chairman Bruce Erb said he appreciated Taylor's leadership that has kept local conditions from being worse.
Taylor acknowledged his frustration with recent increases in positive test results. Those results show the county added 465 cases last week, Taylor said, which the state linked to "community spread," and not to any specific location or group.
"I think there are a whole lot of people out there trying to get on with their lives," Taylor said.
To address community spread, Taylor reiterated mitigation efforts -- social distancing, masking, washing hands and staying home if sick -- that have been recommended since the pandemic developed.
"I think we're all doing our best," Taylor said.
Erb proposed that Taylor return to commissioners meetings with additional updates.
"Thank you for your continual reminders of everything we're supposed to be doing," Erb said.
Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.