Four South Shore towns open COVID test site in Hingham; $149 for rapid tests
HINGHAM – Getting a COVID-19 test may now be little easier on the South Shore thanks to a new regional testing site now open in Hingham.
Hingham, Cohasset, Hull and Scituate were awarded a state grant to open the new testing facility in Hingham. It will offer three kinds of tests: PCR, rapid antigen tests and antibody tests.
There is no price listed for PCR tests, but rapid tests cost $149 and antibody tests will cost $75. The Hingham website says the cost of PCR tests will be billed directly to a patient's insurance.
The drive-through testing site at 335 Lincoln St. will be open four days a week – Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday – from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Hingham, Cohasset, Hull and Scituate residents have "priority access" to testing, which requires appointments, from 7 to 11 a.m. each day the site is open, officials said in a news release.
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Registration is available at covidclinic.org/hingham-ma..
While the Hingham site will be charging $149 for a rapid test, at-home rapid tests cost $10 to $15 at retailers.
Hingham's executive health agent, Susan Sarni, did not respond to requests for comment about the testing site or why the rapid tests will cost so much.
Testing on the South Shore has been hard to come by. There's been a huge demand for tests at the two free state-run sites in Randolph and Brockton, resulting in hourslong wait times. Private pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens have booked out weeks in advance.
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There are four free testing sites on and around the South Shore.
In Quincy, Manet Community Health Center is offering free walk-up testing from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays at 180 Old Colony Ave.
In Weymouth, from 2 to 6 p.m. Mondays, the town is offering free testing for residents and those who work in Weymouth. Testing is at the Elks Lodge at 1197 Washington Street. The testing is run by Manet Community Health Center. No appointment is required.
In Randolph, free testing takes place at the Joseph Zapustas Ice Arena at 240 North St. from 2 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays.
In Brockton, the free testing site is a drive-thru at 1 Massasoit Blvd. It runs from 7 to 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from 2 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Residents can register in advance for a test online.
Booster clinics already full
A news release sent by Hingham, Cohasset, Scituate and Hull, through the company John Guilfoil Public Relations, advertises a vaccine booster clinic on Jan. 13. That clinic is already full.
A booster clinic in Hanson on Jan. 13 still has openings and requires an appointment. The booster offered is the Moderna vaccine.
Elsewhere on the South Shore, the Marshfield Fairgrounds is administering vaccines, including boosters, three days a week: Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Walk-ins are accepted.
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Reach reporter Wheeler Cowperthwaite at wcowperthwaite@patriotledger.com.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Hingham to open regional COVID testing site Wednesday
