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BOSTON – Today, March 11, Ginkgo Bioworks confirmed its four Stop the Spread testing sites will continue to offer free, large-scale COVID-19 testing through at least May 15 in communities in need, as part of their ongoing partnership with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services.
That includes the site in Framingham at St. Tarcisius Parish Center on Route 135.
The four sites are operated by Concentric by Ginkgo, Ginkgo’s biosecurity and public health initiative.
Last Friday, the Baker-Polito Administration announced that as caseloads have declined, several testing sites would close or downsize effective April 1, 2022.
However, 11 Stop the Spread testing sites will remain open to offer PCR testing free of charge, with no requirement to show ID or for insurance, through at least May 15, 2022.
These locations were selected by the state based on demonstrated need, volume of daily testing, and geographic equity.
All four of the locations operated by Concentric—Framingham, Lynn, New Bedford, and Revere—will remain open.
“As more and more residents and families return to in-person work and school, we want the public to be assured that Concentric’s four large-scale testing sites will remain open and available for free testing through at least mid-May,” said Matt McKnight, General Manager, Biosecurity at Ginkgo Bioworks. “With a rapid decline in COVID-19 cases overall and easing of public health guidelines, we believe that testing remains a critical prevention tool, especially for communities in need. In partnership with the state, we are pleased to continue offering free PCR tests at these familiar and convenient locations as we move into the next phase of COVID-19.”
Concentric continues to serve Project Beacon’s customers without disruption, and is in the process of integrating Project Beacon’s core functions into its broader operations.
Throughout the pandemic, Concentric has supported widespread COVID-19 monitoring in communities across the country. Concentric currently provides COVID-19 monitoring services for over 280,000 individuals per week through its programs in K-12 schools, airports, correctional facilities, and other congregate settings nationwide. Concentric conducted over 3 million tests in the second half of 2021.
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Testing at Concentric’s Stop the Spread sites is currently available by appointment only, and can be scheduled at https://app.beacontesting.com/login/.
Ginkgo is building a platform to enable customers to program cells as easily as we can program computers. The company’s platform is enabling biotechnology applications across diverse markets, from food and agriculture to industrial chemicals to pharmaceuticals. Ginkgo has also actively supported a number of COVID-19 response efforts, including K-12 pooled testing, vaccine manufacturing optimization, and therapeutics discovery.
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In full transparency, the following is a press release submitted to SOURCE media
MetroWest Medical Center