Photo: Provided by CVS

Photo: Provided by CVS

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a list of who is a priority for getting tested for COVID-19 on their website:

  • Hospitalized patients with symptoms
  • Health care workers, workers in congregate living settings, and first responders with symptoms
  • Residents in long-term care facilities or other congregate living settings, including prisons and shelters, with symptoms
  • Persons with symptoms of potential COVID-19 infection, including: fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, muscle pain, new loss of taste or smell, vomiting or diarrhea, and/or sore throat
  • Persons without symptoms who are prioritized by health departments or clinicians, for any reason, including but not limited to: public health monitoring, sentinel surveillance, or screening of other asymptomatic individuals according to state and local plans

According to the Ohio Department of Health, “Ohio has modified these groups to meet the specific needs of our state in light of changes in testing availability and evolving knowledge of COVID-19 and its impact on Ohioans.”

Ohio’s testing priorities — which you can read about in full here — also include: 

  • Individuals receiving essential surgeries and procedures, including those who were reassessed after a delay.
  • Individuals receiving all other medically necessary procedures.
  • Individuals receiving non-essential/elective surgeries and procedures, effective June 2
  • Residents and staff of long-term care facilities and congregate living settings who are asymptomatic with potential exposure to COVID-19 when a case is detected in a facility
  •  Individuals or groups designated by public health authorities to evaluate and manage community outbreaks, including those within workplaces and other large gatherings

Ohio says eventually asymptomatic individuals will also be given a testing priority. And some states have given testing priority to those who participated in a recent protest.

So there’s all sorts of information about who can get a test, but what if you do need or want a test — where and how can you get one?

Most places still require you to complete some type of screening before you are approved for a COVID-19 test. Or require a doctor’s note. 

Find a list of Ohio testing locations here: coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/testing-ch-centers.

And Kentucky testing locations here: govstatus.egov.com/kycovid19.

And here is more detailed info about Hamilton County testing sites:

  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care: 10450 New Haven Road, Harrison // 513-367-5888
  • Healthcare Connection, Inc.: 924 Waycross Road, Forest Park // 513-589-301
  • Healthcare Connection, Inc.: 11961 Chesterdale Road, Springdale // 513-864-1400
  • Healthcare Connection, Inc.: 8146 Hamilton Ave., Mount Healthy // 513-588-3623
  • Healthcare Connection, Inc.: 1401 Steffen Ave., Lincoln Heights // 513-588-3263
  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care: 5730 Colerain Ave., White Oak // 513-363-3765
  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care: 5641 Belmont Ave., College Hill // 513-363-6758
  • WinMed Health Services: 5275 Winneste Ave., Winton Hills // 513-242-1033
  • WinMed Health Services: 400 Maple St., Elmwood Place // 513-242-1033
  • WinMed Health Services: 1510 California Ave., Bond Hill // 513-363-7900
  • WinMed Health Services: 7005 Reading Road, Bond Hill // 513-363-9300
  • WinMed Health Services: 1740 Langdon Farm Road, Bond Hill // 513-569-1840
  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care: 5051 Duck Creek Road, Madisonville // 513-357-2809
  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care: 5051 Anderson Place, Madisonville // 513-363-2921 
  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care: 5818 Madison Road, Madisonville // 513-263-8750
  • WinMed Health Services: 4515 Tower Ave., Saint Bernard // 513-242-1033
  • WinMed Health Services: 4615 Tower Ave., Saint Bernard // 513-242-1033
  • Cincinnati Health Network: 4138 Hamilton Ave., Northside // 513-386-7899
  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care: 3917 Spring Grove Ave., Northside // 513-357-7600
  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care: 2411 Baltimore Ave., Villages at Roll Hill // 513-363-4018
  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care: 1930 Fricke Road, Millvale // 513-363-3645
  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care: 2750 Beekman St., Camp Washington // 513-352-3192
  • Crossroad Health Center: 2170 Anderson Ferry Road, Western Hills // 513-922-4271
  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care: 2146 Ferguson Road, Western Hills // 513-363-8770
  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care: 1702 Grand Ave., South Fairmont // 513-363-4627
  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care: 2121 Hatmaker St., Price Hill // 513-363-4182
  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care: 800 Bank St., Brighton // 513-357-2000
  • WinMed Health Services:1019 Linn St., West End // 513-233-7100
  • Cincinnati Health Network: 411 Gest St., Queensgate // 513-386-7899
  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care: 420 Ezzard Charles Drive, Over-the-Rhine // 513-363-8257
  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care: 1005 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine // 513-357-7320
  • Crossroad Health Center: 5 E. Liberty St., Over-the-Rhine // 513-381-2247
  • Cincinnati Health Network: 40 E Mcmicken Ave., Mount Auburn // 513-386-7899
  • Cincinnati Health Network: 112 E Liberty St., Over-the-Rhine // 513-357-4817
  • Crossroad Health Center: 241 E Clifton Ave., Over-the-Rhine // 513-381-2247
  • Crossroad Health Center: 270 Southern Ave., Mount Auburn // 513-381-2247
  • Cincinnati Health Network: 2499 Reading Road, Mount Auburn // 513-386-7899
  • Cincinnati Health Network: 2825 Burnet Ave., Ste 232, Corryville // 513-961-0600
  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care: 3101 Burnet Ave., Corryville // 513-357-7200
  • Equitas Health: 2805 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills // 513-815-4475
  • Healthcare Connection, Inc.:1501 Madison Road, Walnut Hills // 513-354-5200
  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care: 612 Rockdale Ave., Avondale // 513-352-4072
  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care: 3559 Reading Road, Ste 101, Avondale // 513-357-7300
  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care: 2030 Fairfax Ave., Evanston // 513-363-7821
  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care: 2520 Madison Road, Norwood // 513-363-9023
  • City of Cincinnati Primary Care 3555 Kellogg Ave., Columbia Tusculum // 513-357-2809
  • Healthsource Of Ohio: 6131 Campus Lane, Mount Washington // 513-732-5088
  • Healthsource Of Ohio: 8000 5 Mile Road, Ste 207, Anderson // 513-474-2870
  • CVS Pharmacy: 8372 Vine St., Hartwell
  • CVS Pharmacy: 5813 Colerain Ave., White Oak
  • CVS Pharmacy: 1115 High St., Hamilton
  • CVS Pharmacy: 710 North Main St., Springboro

CVS Pharmacy locations are offering a self-swab test, which you can see if you qualify for at cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing. When you arrive for testing, you will remain in your car and drive up to the pharmacy drive-thru window. Once you receive your self-testing kit, a CVS Pharmacy team member will observe the process to ensure the test is done correctly. The test will then be sent to an independent lab for testing. Results will be available in three days.

Kroger and Walmart are also offering some testing locations in Ohio.

This article appears in May 6 – Jun 14, 2020.

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