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One-day record 485 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in county; deaths at 389

A temporary regional drive-thru coronavirus testing site will open Friday outside the Mohegan Sun Pocono Casino off Route 315 in Plains Township, the state and county Manager C. David Pedri announced Wednesday.
				Up to 450 residents can receive free testing daily at the location, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
				No appointment is necessary because the swab testing will be provided on a first-come/first-served basis, the state said.
				Anyone 3 and older can be tested, with no requirement to exhibit symptoms.
				The site will be open from noon to 6 p.m. Friday (Dec. 18). The hours will be 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Saturday through Dec. 22.
				Patients are encouraged to bring photo identification or an insurance card, and registration will be completed on-site.
				Those tested are asked to self-quarantine while awaiting test results, which should arrive within two to seven days, the state said.
				Specifically, the state advises those in quarantine to use a private room and bathroom if possible when they reside in a structure with others. Other occupants of that dwelling also should remain home, the state said.
				Those testing positive will receive a phone call, while secure emails will be sent to those who are negative.
				Communications about testing results will come from AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, which has a contract with the state to provide testing in communities in need across the state.
				The casino site is only temporary.
				State Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said it is among the latest in a pop-up testing program rotating through 61 counties over a 12-week period. The counties with regional drive-through or indoor walk-in locations changes weekly.
				In addition to Luzerne, four other counties will be in the latest testing site mix: Cambria, Franklin, Mercer and Montour.
				Levine said all 67 counties now have an &ldquo;alarming&rdquo; positivity rate over 5%, with 17 counties exceeding 20%. The rate is the percentage of diagnostic tests yielding positive results.
				&ldquo;Over the past several weeks, we have seen a rapid increase of positive case counts reaching record-high levels, which gives us significant cause for concern,&rdquo; Levine said in a release.
				Luzerne County&rsquo;s positivity rate was 17.7% last week and has been steadily rising. Statewide, the positivity rate was 16.2% last week.
				Funded by a federal ELC Enhancing Detection grant, the increased testing in counties should help determine the prevalence of the virus, Levine said.
				Pedri said the county sheriff&rsquo;s department and Emergency Management Agency will assist as needed.
				Selected by the state, the casino site made sense because the facility is currently closed due to Gov. Tom Wolf&rsquo;s recent COVID-19 restrictions order, Pedri said.
				The state previously operated a drive-through testing site in April at the Mohegan Sun Arena parking lot in Wilkes-Barre Township. Pedri said the arena is in a more congested area that required additional traffic control.
				Pedri praised the state for adding the temporary testing, saying it will alleviate some of the burden on health care facilities and pharmacies that provide testing.
				&ldquo;Our health care providers report that their testing sites are slammed right now. The private entities that offer testing also are very busy,&rdquo; Pedri said. &ldquo;If this gives them a break, all the better.&rdquo;
				As coronavirus cases rise in the county and throughout the state, more residents are seeking testing, he said.
				&ldquo;Getting tested is the right thing to do, so we have to find a way to make sure it is accessible,&rdquo; Pedri said.
				Accessing testing was a major concern early in the pandemic, but now there are more options, he said. The casino site will be particularly convenient because no appointment is required, he said.

Free drive-through testing to be offered at Mohegan Sun Pocono Casino in Plains Township