Appointments fill up at new Akron mass testing site but there are other options

Northeast Ohio’s second mass testing site is opening in Akron Tuesday with drive-through rapid antigen testing. But appointments are already filled up for this week. Here's what to do until there’s more spots available.

The new mass testing site at Summa Health’s headquarters will offer 300 rapid antigen tests per day.

Just like the site in Cleveland’s University Circle, the Ohio National Guard will be helping with this one.

But Summit County Public Health Commissioner, Donna Skoda says they’ve learned from Cleveland on how to make this one better.

“And that’s where we really learned to limit the appointments because they really had a big showing that first day and didn’t have adequate testing. We’ve also been able to learn from their traffic flow and the online registration so it’s been a big help having them help us.”

Skoda urges people that show up for testing this week to share all information about their symptoms.

She says they want to prioritize tests for those who may be sick or are vulnerable to exposure.

“It would take great pressure off of the emergency rooms if people had a place to go to.”

Skoda advises anyone looking for an appointment to keep checking Summa Health’s website until they open slots for next week. Other options are to try finding a take-home test from a local store or to get a PCR test at a pharmacy or primary care physician’s office.

Anyone looking for an at-home test can also try the county’s public health headquarters on West Market Street. They’re handing out Abbott test kits on a first-come first-serve basis until they run out.

Skoda says they’ll keep the mass testing site in operation for as long as there’s a need for it.

For more information, call the Summit County Public Health helpline at (330) 926-5795.

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