Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services expanded its free swab and send testing program to anyone above the age of 12 months. The program was limited to those exhibiting symptoms prior to September 22. Derek Davis / Portland Press Herald

REGION — Due to the state’s expanded coronavirus testing capacity which is now at 400 tests per 100,000 people, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has extended its free swab and send testing program to all individuals until October 31. Previously, the DHHS standing order for COVID-19 testing exclusively served those who were exhibiting symptoms or had a separate order from their health care provider.

“Increased access to testing is a critical part of the strategy to mitigate the spread of this deadly virus, to return kids to school safely, and to ensure that our economy stays up and running,” Governor Janet Mills said at the announcement of the program extension, on September 22. “This expanded order is another step forward in our ongoing battle against COVID-19 as Maine continues to be a national leader in testing capacity.”

The program allows any individual aged 12 months and above to receive a COVID-19 swab test manufactured by IDEXX Laboratories Inc. from one of Maine’s 30 participating testing locations. The test is then sent for analysis at the state laboratory with results coming back within three to five days.

Current participating swab and send test sites are listed on the maine.gov Keep Maine Healthy page at https://www.maine.gov/covid19/restartingmaine/keepmainehealthy/testing.

Franklin Community Health Network located at 131 Franklin Health Commons in Farmington, participates in the state’s DHHS testing program and currently offers drive-through swab testing on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 to 3 p.m. There is no additional qualifying criteria other than the state’s age requirement. Individuals do not have to be a patient of Maine Health or have a primary care physician. Those that wish to be tested at Franklin Community Health should call (207) 779-2751.

“The number of tests we’ve done on the state swab and send day tends to run between 20 and 60,” Franklin Community Health Communications Director Jill Gray said, in a phone interview. “And we’ve noticed that when there’s an outbreak nearby, sometimes people will call ours for the overflow.”

Gray said that the swab and send testing center experienced a considerable increase in patients when the Rumford Paper Mill announced a coronavirus outbreak on Tuesday, September 15.

If an individual is a member of Franklin Community Health, they also have the option to receive an asymptomatic test on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m. Interested patients should visit nordx.org and fill out the required form to book and pay for an appointment.