![]() ![]() ![]() Rapid antigen tests, which can be used at home and report results within minutes, also are available at stores and pharmacies. But insurance coverage for tests could depend on whether a person has COVID symptoms or meets other criteria. People who need PCR tests - which are processed in laboratories - can still obtain them at pharmacies, urgent care centers, primary care offices and community health centers. "As we move into a new chapter of living with COVID-19, this large-scale state-funded PCR testing is no longer the best use of resources," officials said. ![]() ![]() State health officials said the closures reflect a shift toward treating COVID more like other respiratory illnesses. The remaining sites - in Everett, Framingham, Lawrence, Lynn, New Bedford, Randolph, Revere, Springfield and Worcester - will close March 31. Last spring, the number of free testing sites shrank from 41 to 11. The sites performed fewer than 1,000 COVID tests per week in February, according to officials at the Department of Public Health, down from about 12,000 tests per week last summer. State testing sites have provided more than 4.3 million swabs since July 2020. PCR tests are considered the most accurate way to diagnose COVID, particularly for people without symptoms. These sites provide free PCR tests regardless of insurance coverage, even for people without symptoms or a known exposure to COVID. Massachusetts health officials are planning to close the last 11 state-funded COVID testing sites at the end of March, marking another turning point in the state’s pandemic response. ![]()
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