Coronavirus: Doctors expect local positive tests as mobile testing site opens

Montgomery County soon will have its first confirmed patient suffering from COVID-19, Premier Health Dr. Joseph Allen predicted Tuesday.

"We'll probably have our first positive test tomorrow [Wednesday]," Allen said at an afternoon media briefing on the coronavirus pandemic.

He is medical director for the new COVID-19 testing operation in the University of Dayton Arena parking lot that launched Tuesday morning.

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More than 200 people were seen from Montgomery, Greene and Darke counties and elsewhere in the area -- about 20 tested positive for flu; about 40 who did not have orders from their physician, said Allen, who shared those numbers as the testing station continued as he reported to the media at the briefing.

Allen said he's anticipates that right now, the testing collection center will be open this weekend.

Premier Health is not charging for the test, he said. Insurance companies are handling that end of it, but there may be a charge associated with the primary care physician.

Meantime, more test kits are on order.

"We have enough for this week," he said.

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Mayor Nan Whaley, at the media briefing, pitched support for the COVID-19 Response Fund for Greater Dayton, which has raised $550,000 to date.

Wednesday, she said, the Dayton Foundation and the United Way of the Greater Dayton Area will begin accepting requests from area nonprofits to fill gaps in services offered to those affected by the pandemic.

The fund has been established by the foundation, United Way and a coalition of philanthropic, government and other individual partners.

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Sarah Hackenbracht, Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association CEO, addressed the briefing as well. She echoed support for Gov. DeWine's recommendation for hospitals across the state to postpone non-essential surgeries in order to save beds for people affected by COVID-19.

Hospitals statewide are under some stress because of the pandemic, she said, but people have not been over-running emergency rooms to be tested for the coronavirus.

"What we are seeing is not necessarily a number of visits but we are seeing some challenges of people walking into emergency departments and requesting this test." she said.

"It is in fact not a test individuals can come into either their doctor's office and urgent care or a hospital to request. [The test] is something that has to be ordered by a primary care provider."