HONESDALE, PA - Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers (WMCHC) set aside more than $135,000 out of a $900,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC) to offer rapid antigen testing for COVID-19 to area businesses, including members of the Wayne County Camp Alliance.

WMCHC will be providing 700 tests to each of 40 camps in Wayne and Pike Counties. In addition, WMCHC has added two more vaccination clinics to its calendar to accommodate camps seeking to have their staff inoculated.

Trails End/Chestnut Lake Camps' Director Marc Honigfeld, whose camp is a member of the Alliance, said earlier this spring that the WMCHC gesture to offer the antigen tests “is a great example of the two-way partnership that exists between us and goes a long way towards helping camps stay in business after a tough 2020. We are so grateful for the generosity shown by WMCHC during this trying time.”

“We are committed to helping the community rebound from the pandemic,” said WMCHC Executive Director Frederick Jackson. “The camps have a significant economic impact in our area, and by helping them and other area businesses, we're contributing to both our region's overall health and economic wellbeing.”

Antigen testing indicates whether a person is currently infected by detecting antigens, which are fragments of the COVID virus. If the test results are negative and the patient is symptomatic, the results will be confirmed by a molecular test or PCR (polymerase chain reaction), which will be performed “stat” (immediately) by Wayne Memorial Hospital, WMCHC's clinical affiliate.

Honigfeld expects testing to continue weekly throughout the summer to ensure the safety of the campers and staff who live at the camps, as well as the numerous members of the Honesdale community who commute to the camps to work.