State, Prince George’s to Set Up Testing Facility at FedEx Field

Patients who have a doctor’s referral will be able to get a COVID-19 test beginning next week at FedEx Field in Landover, Prince George’s County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks (D) announced on Friday.

Walk-ups will not be accepted, the county stressed in a news release. The site will have limited testing capabilities and only those with an appointment will be tested.

To get an appointment, patients must have been pre-screened by the county health department or their primary-care provider. It is solely for those people who meet stringent CDC testing guidelines, the county said.

The screening location will be open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting on March 30.

Five Eastern Shore counties have been operating a drive-through testing program for the past week. The program served the residents of five counties — Queen Anne’s, Talbot, Caroline, Kent and Dorchester.

Those who had a referral from a physician were able to get tested in the parking lot of Chesapeake College, said Beth Malasky, community information specialist for Queen Anne’s County.

“It went very well,” she added. “It’s to give some relief to the hospitals and ERs. We encouraged everyone who was having symptoms to go to their primary care doctor, and then their primary care doctor would write them a referral.”

So far, 117 people have been tested at that mobile site. Malasky said the tests are taking about a week to process and results will be fed back to the county health departments and referring physicians.

The FedEx Field testing site is a partnership between the Prince George’s County and state health departments, the Maryland National Guard, and the University of Maryland Medical System, Alsobrooks said.

“The opening of this pilot screening site represents another important step in our state’s effort to respond to COVID-19 with every tool in the arsenal of public health,” said Fran Phillips, Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services at the Maryland Department of Health.

“What Marylanders are seeing at FedEx Field is the result of thorough coordination across all levels of government and the health sector.”

FedEx Field is home to the Washington Redskins.

In a statement released by the county, team owner Daniel M. Snyder said: “Offering safe and effective screening is important as we combat the spread of the virus, and we are proud to team up with the Prince George’s County Health Department and the State of Maryland to open a testing site outside FedEx Field.”

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