Free coronavirus testing for children will be available effective immediately at TestMV, the partnership backing the testing site at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School announced Monday.

Operated by Quest Diagnostics, the Island boards of health, the Island Health Care community health center and the Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank, TestMV will expand its services to begin testing asymptomatic children aged 5-17.

The testing site, which has been up and running since early June, will also reduce its schedule to three days a week after Labor Day, the announcement said.

A total of 20 people have tested positive at the high school site since it opened, with the most recent case confirmed on Monday. A daily tally created by the Island boards of health showed the new patient is a man between 30 and 39. That case brings to 84 the number of confirmed cases on Island since the pandemic began. Tests performed by Martha's Vineyard Hospital have confirmed 43 cases, 17 cases are assumed by tests for antibodies, three people have been symptomatically diagnosed and one case was confirmed by an off-island test.

The need for more widespread testing for children was identified as a key need on the Island last month, as school administrators and elected officials wrestled with complicated plans for reopening public schools on the Vineyard.

Until now, PCR swab testing at TestMV has been available only for asymptomatic adults.

“We hope that offering asymptomatic testing to minors will give parents some assurance as we head into the fall,” said Cynthia Mitchell, chief executive officer of Island Health Care, in a press release that went out Monday announcing the changes. “It’s unclear what the demand will be, but we thought it was important to create a pathway for families moving forward.”

The procedure for testing children is described in detail in the release:

A parent or legal guardian will be required to sign a written consent form for anyone under the age of 18. As part of the consent form, a parent or legal guardian may authorize in writing another adult to accompany the minor to the TestMV site. Pre-registered minors between the ages of 14 and 18 can arrive on their own and must have a photo ID — for example, a school ID, a learner’s permit, driver’s license or passport. For children under 14, the parent, guardian or authorized adult must accompany the minor.

A licensed clinician will coach either the minor or the adult through the self-collection swab process, but it will be up to the adult to determine if the minor is capable. If the child cannot administer the swab, the adult will be responsible for administering the swab.

To schedule a test, call 877-336-9855. Appointments for minors cannot be made online. Parents or legal guardians must have an email address to receive an electronic consent form, which must be filled out and signed for each minor in the household. If parents or guardians do not have access to email, the consent form can be filled out on site on the day of the appointment.

Meanwhile, the high school site, which has tested more than 10,000 Island residents and visitors since early June, will cut back its schedule slightly in the fall due to an expected drop in demand for testing, as the summer season begins its ebb.

“We believe there will be a natural drop off in test demand after Labor Day,” said Tisbury health agent Maura Valley in the press release.

“Going to three days makes good sense and if there is an unexpected increase in requests that can’t be handled over three days, we have the flexibility to expand that schedule,” she also said.

The new testing schedule will be Monday-Wednesday-Friday, from 9 a.m. to noon, and 1 to 3:30 p.m.