COVID testing is at 77 Middlesex Ave. in Somerville (Assembly Square).
Testing Process and Details:
- You must have an appointment (see below). Please note: testing slots are limited.
- You can come by car, by bicycle or on foot. If coming by car, please keep your windows rolled up.
- There is no age limit for children. But your child must be able to sit still and tolerate the nose swab inside the vehicle.
- Please bring a picture ID.
- Tests are provided to everyone, regardless of insurance status. If you have insurance, CHA will bill them for the test (you may get a statement from them showing this).
Make an Appointment:
- CHA patients with symptoms: Call the COVID Triage Center at 617-665-1977 (Monday-Saturday 8:15 a.m. - 5 p.m.) All other times, please call your primary care office. Someone is available to help 24/7.
- CHA patients without symptoms: Call 617-665-2928.
- Non-CHA patients with symptoms: please call your regular doctor first. If you have had a medical evaluation and still want to schedule a test, call 617-665-2928.
- Non-CHA patients without symptoms: Call 617-665-2928.
Note: Our COVID testing phone line is open Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Appointment slots are limited, and we do not book out more than 5 days.
Testing Technology:
COVID-19 (SARS-COV-2) viral testing is performed at our in-house CHA Laboratories. Outpatient testing is performed utilizing the nucleic acid amplification (NAAT) testing methods.
For airline travel and other situations (schools, businesses, etc.) where COVID-19 molecular testing is required, this methodology is compliant with the most recent CDC guidelines (see Most Recent CDC testing guideline for air travelers), CDC (Interim Considerations for Testing for K-12 School Administrators and Public Health Officials) and Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Homeland Security and Department of Homeland Security guidelines (Runway to Recovery).
For specific questions or concerns regarding testing, please contact the Chief of Pathology (pathology@challiance.org).
Inpatient COVID testing methodologies include Isothermal nucleic amplification(for urgent decision making only), real time PCR (RT-PCR) and possibly nucleic acid amplification(NAAT) testing methods.
Getting Results:
Results may take up to 5 days to be available after you are tested. If you have not been contacted, it is because your result is not yet available.
CHA patients with symptoms: You will get results from your CHA primary care team. Results will also be available in MyChart.
Cambridge residents: You will get results from the Cambridge Health Department (617-665-3826).
Chelsea residents: You will get results from the Chelsea Health Department (617-874-7678).
Everett residents: You will get results from the Everett Health Department (617-394-2257).
Malden residents: You will get results from the Malden Health Department (781-397-7052).
Medford residents: You will get results from the Medford Health Department (781-393-2503).
Revere residents: You will get results from the Revere Health Department (781-632-2781).
Somerville residents: You will get results from the Somerville Health Department (617-591-3240).
Winthrop residents: You will get results from the Emergency Operations Center (617-539-5848).
Other communities: CHA staff will contact you with your results.