LYNN – The city’s state-funded COVID-19 testing site, located at 2 State St., will close at the end of March along with the other 10 remaining sites in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts health officials cited a declining demand for COVID-19 tests as the reasoning behind the decision to close the sites, which offer free PCR tests and vaccinations regardless of insurance status. Lynn Public Health Coordinator Norris Guscott said the statewide pattern is definitely being seen in the city.
“The demand is waning I’d say,” he said. “Folks are still cautious, but they’re learning to live with it.”
Since July 2020, state testing sites have provided more than 4.3 million tests. However, in February 2023, the frequency of tests provided fell to fewer than 1,000 per week. From Feb. 16 to March 9, only 3,197 tests were given at the Lynn site. With the high vaccination percentage in the city, Guscott said Lynn isn’t worried about the closure.
“We are comfortable where our rates are,” he said.
With March marking three years since the beginning of the pandemic, the response to COVID-19 has shifted as the reality of living with the virus has set in.
On Wednesday, Gov. Maura Healey announced that the mandate for state workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and the state health emergency will end on May 11.
“Thanks to the hard work of our health care providers and communities, we’ve made important progress in the fight against COVID-19,” said Healey in a statement. “We know that we have the tools to manage this virus – vaccines, masking, testing, getting treatments and staying home when sick – and we’ve reached the point where we can update our guidance to reflect where we are now.”
When asked how the closure might affect Lynn residents who are uninsured, Guscott said that there will still be plenty of options available to get tested or vaccinated for undocumented immigrants or uninsured people.
“When something like this happens, it’s always the most vulnerable groups who feel it the most,” said Guscott. “I think what you’ll see is though access will be reduced in terms of testing and those vaccinations, they’re going to be more targeted towards the vulnerable.”
Guscott said that with the state’s strong track record of helping its vulnerable population during the early and middle stages of the pandemic, he is confident in the state’s and city’s ability to help uninsured and undocumented people obtain tests and vaccines moving forward.
Former Mayor of Salem and current Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, in a statement, asked for Massachusetts residents to continue doing their part to fight the spread of COVID-19, even after the sites close.
“Executive Order No. 595 has been a successful tool for boosting vaccination rates and reducing the spread and severity of COVID-19 in Massachusetts. We’re grateful to the state employees who did their part to keep themselves, their coworkers and their communities safe,” said Driscoll. “We encourage Massachusetts residents to continue taking important prevention measures to keep our communities healthy, like getting boosted, masking and staying home when you’re feeling sick.”
Healey noted that they are prepared to roll out emergency resources again if there is a significant uptick or change in COVID-19 numbers. In Lynn, Guscott said the Health Division is also prepared if the virus ramps back up.
“We are prepared in the event that we need to get the tests back out again,” he said.
