HONESDALE, PA - Prompted by an uptick in COVID-19 cases and a request from the Pike County commissioners, Wayne Memorial Hospital will once again offer PCR testing at the Pike County Training Center off Route 739 in Lords Valley.

Starting January 11, the site will be open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. No appointments are necessary but patients must have a prescription for the test from a medical provider.

PCR or polymerase chain reaction tests are considered the “gold standard” for COVID-19 testing with a high accuracy rate. PCR tests are very sensitive and can pick up small amounts of viral RNA in the nasal or saliva swab being tested, possibly before a person becomes contagious to others.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Pike County saw 43 new cases of COVID-19 between Sunday, January 2 and Monday, January 3. As of January 4, Pike had a 7,380 total cases of COVID-19 and Wayne County 7,838 total cases.

Wayne Memorial Laboratory Services John Romano said the hospital’s PCR test results are currently back within 24 to 48 hours.

The hospital also operates a drive-through testing site at the Stourbridge Professional Complex in Honesdale. It’s open Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. For more information about COVID testing, visit www.wmh.org’s Learn More about COVID page at COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) - Wayne Memorial Hospital, wmh.org.