Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced that the state will begin offering drive-thru coronavirus testing that will not require appointments or a show of symptoms.
“Appointment-free” testing will be available at the Timonium Fairgrounds drive-thru site starting Thursday, and at the VEIP stations in Glen Burnie and Hyattsville starting Friday. Residents who wish to be tested are promised no out-of-pocket costs.
The state government is touting the development as a “critical milestone” in Maryland’s COVID-19 testing capacity.
“This will help doctors diagnose and treat new cases more quickly, and it will further increase the safety of our state for all citizens,” Mr. Hogan said in a statement. “In addition, we are authorizing and actively encouraging the state’s hundreds of pharmacies to directly order and administer COVID-19 tests, another way we can make testing more widely available in our communities.”
Previously, Marylanders who wanted to be tested for the virus needed to have shown symptoms and had a testing appointment arranged by a doctor or health care provider.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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