At-Home COVID Tests Available from ACDL

The Ashtabula County District Library (ACDL) is assisting the Ohio Department of Health (ODOH) in distributing, free to Ohio residents, the 15-minute Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test for at-home COVID-19 testing, in conjunction with a free telehealth session provided by eMed proctors.  According to an ODOH Home Tests Guidance document received by the Library, “(t)he Ohio Department of Health has secured the purchase of at least 2 million tests that can be self-administered outside of a clinical setting. It is the Governor’s goal to make these tests available and accessible to every Ohio county.” 

“This service for COVID-19 testing prescribes and allows the test to be done rapidly at home with virtual instruction and consultation”, the document continues. “A trained telehealth professional guides those being tested through the at-home self-test via video call” using the free NAVICA mobile app or by visiting the ohio.emed.com website.  Both the app and website require the use of a video camera for the free telehealth session through which test results are determined.

“Though these free self-tests are available to all, the Library asks that if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms such as fever/chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, that you call ahead to ask for curbside delivery or send a friend to the library to pick up a self-test kit for you,” said Penny Neubauer, Director at ACDL.  “Not only might these self-test help with the routine COVID-19 testing required by the CDC for both domestic and international travel, return to work procedures, or just our own personal peace of mind, the hope is that widespread COVID-19 testing might support the urgent desire we all have to get our communities and their economies fully open and ‘back to normal’.  Our libraries are extremely pleased to be able to play a part in this reopening process.”

The self-test kits are available at both the Ashtabula Public Library located at 4335 Park Ave, Ashtabula, 440- 997-9341; and the Geneva Public Library located at 860 Sherman St, Geneva, 440-466-4521. 

The Ashtabula and Geneva Libraries are open Monday and Wednesday from 9:00am to 7:30pm; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:00am to 6:00pm; and Saturday from 9:00am to 4:00pm. The Virtual Library is always open at ACDL.info.  Mask are required to enter library buildings.