Pages - Maryland Department of Health and partners launch COVID Test to Treat program at State Center in Baltimore City

May 2, 2022

Media Contacts:

Deidre McCabe, Director of Communications, 410-767-3536

Chase Cook, Deputy Director of Media Relations, 410-767-8649

Maryland Department of Health and partners launch COVID Test to Treat program at State Center in Baltimore City

State Center will offer rapid COVID-19 testing, on-site evaluation, and prescription COVID oral medication six days a week at a convenient and accessible location

Baltimore, MD— The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and its partners, University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) and Johns Hopkins Medicine, have expanded services at the State Center Vaccination and Testing Site in Baltimore City to include on-site consultations and COVID-19 treatment options. Visitors to State Center can now receive a rapid COVID-19 test and — if they test positive and treatments are appropriate for them — immediately receive a clinical evaluation and a prescription for oral antiviral pills filled on-site. The services offered at State Center are free.

This initiative expands upon the federal Test to Treat (T2T) model, which is being adopted by pharmacies and urgent care centers throughout Maryland. There are more than 50 T2T sites in Maryland listed on the T2T locator hosted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). They include dozens of CVS MinuteClinics and ExpressCare locations statewide.

“Expanding Test to Treat at State Center is directly in line with our goal of ensuring that Marylanders have easy access to all of the life-saving COVID-19 tools available to keep them safe and protected from severe illness or hospitalization,” said MDH Secretary Dennis R. Schrader. “Test to Treat at State Center is a free, one-stop shop that will further help Maryland remain one the safest states during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Understanding available treatment options to manage COVID-19 if you test positive is important in preventing symptoms from getting worse. Oral medications that may protect from severe illness due to COVID-19 are only effective if treatment begins within five days of illness onset. Those not eligible for oral medications may benefit from monoclonal antibody infusion, which is most effective within 5-7 days after symptoms begin.

There are several other options for Marylanders to quickly get potentially life-saving COVID-19 treatment. Marylanders who test positive for COVID at home can use the BCCFH COVID Task Force COVID Treatment Program. Using the simple online form, anyone can self refer and answer a few questions to learn if they are eligible for treatment. They will be given the option to schedule a telehealth or phone consultation through the site — and if treatment is recommended — receive a prescription filled at the nearest participating pharmacy to them.

Test to Treat is available at State Center six days a week:

Mon: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Tues: 2:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Wed: 12 noon - 4 p.m.
Thurs: 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Fri: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Sat: 10:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Eligibility for treatment is based on length of symptoms, underlying health conditions, and other factors. Please bring any information about medications you are currently taking for best results.

Those not eligible for Paxlovid oral medication may be recommended for monoclonal antibody infusion at home or at the Infusion Center, operated by BCCFH COVID Task Force, located at 110 S. Paca Street. The infusion center operates Monday through Friday by appointment, and treatment is free of charge to patients. For more information about the Infusion Center, call 410-328-1100.

For more information about COVID-19 in Maryland, including treatment options, visit covidLINK.maryland.gov. For the most recent Maryland COVID-19 data, visit coronavirus.maryland.gov.

Information about COVID-19 treatment is also available by calling 855-MDGOVAX (855-634-6829). To find a location near you that dispenses antiviral COVID-19 medications, please visit the HHS Therapeutics Locator.

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The Maryland Department of Health is dedicated to protecting and improving the health and safety of all Marylanders through disease prevention, access to care, quality management and community engagement.