On June 30th, Rhode Island will close all its state-run COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites, but one can still get tests and vaccine shots from other sources.
The health department says the closing of the sites is part of its new endemic strategy that treats COVID-19 as a manageable disease, like the seasonal flu.
This shift was announced at the beginning of June, as health officials said testing and vaccination have now become more widely available.
Starting July 1, Rhode Islanders will need to rely on a variety of sources for COVID-19 tests or vaccines.
Vaccines:
Do you need a vaccine or a booster? RIDOH has a tool to see if you are eligible and if you are up to date with all your shots.
Where to go?
First route is through one’s health care provider. Reach out to your doctor to get vaccinated or boosted.
If you don’t have a doctor, you can search for a pharmacy or clinic with available appointments.
You can search by age, preferred vaccine maker, and location via the CDC at https://www.vaccines.gov/search/.
Enter your zipcode and the map tool fills up with nearby locations.
For those who can’t travel, there is an option to get a vaccine at home. https://covid.ri.gov/vaccination#athome
For testing:
RIDOH offers a map tool to find testing in your area. Like the CDC map, one enters a zipcode and nearby locations pop up.
You can also go directly to pharmacy websites like CVS and Walgreens.
They offer similar map tools to find a location that has available appointments.
On a Thursday check, the CVS site did not have any appointments available. It had a message that said “We’re sorry. COVID-19 test scheduling is currently unavailable.”
The Walgreen map tool did show various locations, some had appointments, others did not.
