TOWN OF DEWITT – The Town of DeWitt distributed hundreds of COVID-19 test kits via drive-thru on Friday, Jan. 7.
The kits were provided by Onondaga County.
Withstanding the falling snow, the numbing cold and reoccurring flurries of wind outside the Carrier Park recreation facility, representatives of DeWitt’s police station, highway department and town board were in charge of handing out two KN95 masks with every box, each of those containing two self-administrable tests.
Though the distribution event on Kinne Street was slated to begin precisely at noon, the drivers already lined up in the parking lot by 11:15 a.m. were not kept waiting until the scheduled start time.
A town press release also indicated that a one-box-per-person system would be followed, but in some cases, vehicles received an extra one or two kits for family members unable to swing by the giveaway.
“We appreciate the opportunity to help out the community like this and get these tests out there,” said DeWitt Police Lt. Jerry Pace as he retrieved the kit-and-mask combos from the trunk of a parked van. “The handoffs only take a matter of seconds for each car too, so the whole thing has gone by pretty quick.”
By 1 p.m., about two-thirds of the 990 test kits supplied to the town had been passed out to local residents.
As the event neared its 2:45 p.m. end point, an announcement was sent out stating that information would be posted on townofdewitt.com and connected social media outlets should additional test kits be obtained by the Town.
The iHealth COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Tests are relied upon to detect the novel coronavirus by use of anterior nasal swab samples placed in a solution. The packaging promises results after 15 minutes.