News

Actions

Virginia Beach company offers mobile COVID-19 testing

Restaurant owners use the services to have multiple employees tested at once
mobile covid testing brooklyn bagels.jpg
Posted at 2:18 PM, Feb 15, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-15 16:30:50-05

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – A Virginia Beach company, known for its laboratory testing, is now offering COVID-19 testing in both a drive-up setting and an on-site mobile service.

Paramedical Services of Virginia is known for drug screening and DNA testing. It’s now added COVID-19 testing.

“Once COVID hit, things shifted as far as on the occupational health side, with a lot of businesses laying off employees and not doing as much testing, everybody working from home, that kind of thing,” explained Tracy Vick, Owner of Paramedical Services of Virginia. “So, we shifted to COVID testing for companies as a result, now that they’ve started bringing back some of those employees to work, and you have the essential workers who have to be there.”

The company offers two different types of COVID-19 testing: a rapid antigen test which has results in about 10 minutes and a more complete test with results back in about 24 hours. Vick says the latter is often done for people traveling out of the country and does have a higher accuracy rating.

At this time, customers pay privately, as they do not accept insurance.

Paramedical Services still does drive-up testing; however, some companies are choosing to hire them to come to their place of business.

Shannon and Charlie Cohen own both Brooklyn Pizzeria and Brooklyn Bagels in the Red Mill area. News 3 caught up with them as they held another round of testing for their employees.

“I think it’s important for all business to do this,” said Charlie Cohen. “Again, for the employees’ safety which is a very important factor. They have to come to work feeling comfortable knowing that everyone’s been tested.”

Rebekah Childress said she appreciates the testing.

“I love it. It makes me comfortable coming into work. I’m not afraid. With everything going on in the pandemic, I’ve always felt feel safe here,” Childress said.

For more information on COVID-19 testing offered through Paramedical Services, click here.