Rite Aid in Butler will begin offering COVID-19 drive-through tests on Thursday.

In a news release Wednesday, Rite Aid announced that its Butler Main Street location will conduct drive-through testing.

“We live our mission at Rite Aid, which is to keep the communities we serve healthy,” said Chris Savarese, director of public relations for Rite Aid.

For months, experts at the state and national levels have warned of a possible resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic, which they said could coincide with the flu season. “We are preparing every day for that,” state Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said Wednesday.

As part of its preparation, the state Department of Health has called for further contact tracing and testing availability. Regarding the latter, it has called for the private sector to step up to provide further testing.

After beginning the testing Thursday, the Rite Aid locations will be open for testing three days a week: Fridays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The tests are for screening purposes. They show whether a person currently has COVID-19, and do not include antibody testing.

To use the service, patients will need to preregister online, produce a government-issued ID and be older than 18 years of age.

“(Preregistration is) critical because you can't just show up without having an appointment,” Savarese said.

However, to take the tests, people do not need a referral from a doctor. They also don't need to have symptoms or insurance to be tested. Regardless of whether participants have insurance, the test is currently free. “This is part of our commitment to helping people in our communities,” Savarese said.

Customers will arrive and stay in their cars in the drive-through. A pharmacist will send testing materials in sterilized packaging through the service bin.

The patient will perform their own self-swab nasal test under the supervision of a pharmacist, who remains inside.

“The pharmacist will guide you through the process,” Savarese said.

The patient is also provided a sterilized specimen bag, in which they will place their test. The filled specimen bag is then placed in a receptacle on the outside of the building, where it will be retrieved by the pharmacist.

Savarese said the patient should receive results in three to five days. He said locations that offer the testing are noted on Rite Aid's website.

On Wednesday, Gov. Tom Wolf also announced five drive-through testing sites opening in Walmart parking lots in five counties, none of which were in Butler County. “These additional testing sites help us further ramp up the state's testing capabilities and make sure those who may have had access barriers to a COVID test can now get one easily and at no cost,” Wolf said. “We will continue to add testing sites, so every Pennsylvanian who needs a test can get one.”

Butler County's COVID-19 numbers fluctuated again after the Department of Health again changed the way it is reporting COVID-19 data. According to the department's report Wednesday, Butler County has a total of 250 cases with 223 of those cases having been confirmed. There were 27 cases listed as probable, and 4,377 negative tests in the county. The county's death toll remained at 12.

In recent weeks, the Department of Health has reported decreases statewide. “Overall, statewide, the trend is good, but we're watching throughout the state and county by county,” Levine said.

The following numbers on the coronavirus pandemic were compiled from the regular news releases from the state Department of Health and Butler Health System.Wednesday’s COVID-19 statistics:Butler CountyConfirmed cases: 223Negative tests: 4,377Deaths: 12Butler Memorial hospitalInpatients: 1Suspected: 0Confirmed: 1ICU: 1Total tests: 5,844Outdoor tests: 2,926Positive tests: 240Clarion hospitalInpatients: 0Suspected: 0Confirmed: 0ICU: 0Total tests: 1,188Outdoor tests: 820Positive tests: 35PennsylvaniaNew cases: 410Total cases: 76,846New deaths: 48Total deaths: 6,062Negative tests: 467,329Recovered: 72 percentSurrounding CountiesAllegheny: 1,904 confirmed cases; 36,701 negative; and 170 deathsArmstrong: 65 confirmed; 1,513 negative; and 5 deathsBeaver: 591 confirmed; 4,395 negative; and 74 deathsClarion: 30 confirmed; 758 negative; and 2 deathsLawrence: 79 confirmed; 1,735 negative; and 8 deathsMercer: 101 confirmed; 2,049 negative; and 6 deathsVenango: 13 confirmed and 725 negativeWestmoreland: 458 confirmed; 11,821 negative; and 38 deaths