County will work with private sector partners along with nonprofits and government agencies to get free at-home rapid test kits to residents before end of year holidays
Annapolis, MD - Standing outside Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman, Anne Arundel Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman, and partners from public and private sector entities announced distribution plans for 100,000 free at-home rapid test kits.
“With COVID cases and hospitalizations increasing and the holidays upon us, we wanted to provide residents with easy, free access to at-home rapid tests,” County Executive Steuart Pittman said. “I want to thank all of the partners who are helping us with distribution - getting these tests out into our communities will help us all celebrate the holidays safely.”
Free rapid at-home test kits will be available throughout the County in the coming days. Kits will be distributed while supplies last, with a limit of three boxes per household. Each box contains one test. Locations for distribution:
- Annapolis Exchange, 1955 Annapolis Exchange, Annapolis. Kits will be available for pickup Monday/Wednesday/Friday from 8am-11am. Kits will not be distributed on Friday, Dec. 24.
- Baymeadow parking lot, 6701 Baymeadow Drive, Glen Burnie. Kits will be available for pickup Tuesdays/Thursdays from 8am-11AM.
- Maryland Live! Casino and Hotel, 7002 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover. Kits will be distributed from 12noon - 5pm starting Wednesday, Dec. 22 through Friday Dec. 24, while supplies last. Operations will resume on Monday, Dec. 27, with the intention of running through Thursday, Dec. 30. Residents can enter using the outside ramp to the event center located on the Hotel side of the building.
- Westfield Annapolis, 2002 Annapolis Mall, Annapolis. Kits will be available beginning on Tuesday, Dec. 21. For information on the mall’s test kit distribution, visit https://www.westfield.com/annapolis.
- Arundel Mills, 7000 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover. Kits may be picked up at guest services or the mall office.
- Anne Arundel County Public Libraries. Kits will be distributed at all locations during operating hours.
- Anne Arundel County Fire Department. Kits will be distributed from 10am-6pm starting Tuesday, Dec. 21 through Thursday, Dec. 23.
Fire Station 33, 15 Central Ave., Glen Burnie
Fire Station 3, 3123 Riva Rd, Riva
Fire Station 12, 161 Ritchie Hwy, Severna Park
Fire Station 27,3498 Fort Meade Rd, Laurel
- Anne Arundel County Police Department. Kits will be distributed from 11am-6pm on Tuesday, Dec. 21, through Thursday, Dec. 23.
Northern District Police Station, 939 Hammonds Lane, Brooklyn Park
Southern District Police Station 35 Stepneys Lane, Edgewater
Eastern District Police Station, 204 Pasadena Road, Pasadena
Western District Police Station, 8273 Telegraph Road, Odenton
- Anne Arundel County government offices. Kits will be distributed at building security desks from 12pm-4pm on Tuesday, Dec. 21, and 9am-4pm Wednesday, Dec. 22 through Thursday, Dec. 23.
Heritage Office complex, 2662 Riva Road, Annapolis.
County Government Building, 1 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis.
Henry L. Hein Public Service Building, 7480 Baltimore and Annapolis Blvd, Glen Burnie.
“We are pleased to partner with the County Executive’s office to make Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland available as a distribution center for free COVID-19 test kits for the community. We hope our guests, employees and local residents take advantage of these tests to help ensure that they can safely enjoy the holiday with friends and family,” said Anthony Faranca, executive vice president and general manager of Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland.
"We are thankful for this partnership with County Executive Pittman and the Department of Health, providing our guests, employees, and local residents an opportunity to get test kits to celebrate the holidays safely with family and friends," said Steve Stavropoulos, Westfield Annapolis Mall general manager.
“We want to thank County Executive Pittman and his team for partnering with us to provide test kits, to help our guests, staff, and local residents safely enjoy the holiday season with friends and family,” said Gene Condon, vice president and general manager of Arundel Mills.
The distribution of at-home kits comes amid rising hospitalizations and case rates across the county and the state. Recent data shows COVID hospitalizations have more than doubled in the past three weeks to nearly 100 people in advance of the year-end holiday season.
“These at home rapid tests give everyone an additional tool to protect themselves and their families. Testing when you have symptoms, have been exposed to someone with Covid, or before you gather, decreases spread,” Anne Arundel County Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman said. “As case rates and hospitalizations rise, testing, getting your first vaccine or a booster, and masking in public areas are crucial to keeping us safer over the next few months.”
For more information on where to obtain test kits, visit www.aacounty.org. For information on where to get vaccination or booster appointments, go to www.aahealth.org/covidvax.
