COVID-19 Testing Site Launched in Brookline (Updated: 1/4/2021)
January 4, 2021 Update: This site, initially funded as a pilot through the end of December, is now extended into 2021.
The communication (originally sent on November 4, 2020) below provides important information from the Public Schools of Brookline and Town of Brookline. Translated versions are available at the following links:
- Chinese: 点击这里查看中文翻译
- English: Click here to access the English translation
- Japanese:こをクリックして日本語の翻訳にアクセスしてください こ
- Korean: 한국어 번역을 보시려면 여기를 클릭하십시오
- Spanish: Haga clic aquí para acceder a la traducción al español
November 4, 2020 - We are excited to inform you that the Brookline Department of Public Health has partnered with mPathy LLC to establish a COVID-19 testing site in Brookline, which will officially open on Tuesday, November 3, after having had a “soft opening” last week. The site will provide tests for town residents, Public Schools of Brookline students and staff, as well as town employees, and family members of staff and students.
PCR swab tests will be available on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments can be made by booking online here. Walk-ins are also available. The testing program will run from Nov. 2 until Dec. 31.
Testing will be conducted outdoors in tents in the Health Department parking lot at 11 Pierce Street, while weather permits. Testing will then be moved inside to the Denny Room, located on the lower level of the Brookline Department of Public Health Building, accessed through the Harvard Street entrance.
Testing is available for both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, however, only the costs for those displaying symptoms will be processed through the patients’ health insurance provider. Asymptomatic and uninsured individuals will be required to pay $140. Asymptomatic individuals who seek testing may request reimbursement for the expense through their insurance company.
We are hopeful that this testing site will provide a convenience for parents, students, and staff to undergo timely testing when symptoms develop, to identify positive cases quickly, as well as to allow for a quick return to school when tests are negative and symptoms have resolved.
To facilitate contact tracing within the schools, staff or students who live outside of Brookline must sign a consent form allowing the test results to be sent directly to the Department of Brookline Public Health, in addition to the health department of the individual’s home residence.
School nurses will continue to work collaboratively with the Department of Brookline Public Health to identify close contacts of positive cases within the school setting. An individual’s local board of health will continue to manage the positive cases of their community. This partnership allows for a quicker review of close contacts within the school system and determination of school attendance.
- For more information about the Town of Brookline’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit BrooklineCOVID19.com.
- For information about free Stop the Spread testing facilities in other communities, visit Mass.gov/info-details/stop-the-spread
- For PSB health information, visit our school health website at (www.brookline.k12.ma.us/nurses)