MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES FREE
MOBILE TESTING SITE NOW LOCATED IN EAST BOSTON
Testing is in partnership
with East Boston Neighborhood Health Center
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BOSTON
- Monday, August 31, 2020 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced the City of
Boston's COVID-19 mobile testing site, in partnership with the East Boston
Neighborhood Health Center, will now be offering COVID-19 testing in East
Boston's Central Square. This COVID-19 testing initiative will be available
starting tomorrow, Tuesday, September 1 to Saturday, September 12 on Border
Street at Liberty Plaza Shopping Center in East Boston. Testing will be
available at no cost for both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. No
appointment is needed but registration is required. To pre-register, please
call 617-568-4500.
"Since
the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been dedicated to monitoring
and making decisions based on the latest COVID-19 data. With the increase in
cases in East Boston, we are expanding testing access there to ensure that
all residents can get tested," said Mayor Walsh. "Thank you to the
East Boston Neighborhood Health Center for your continued partnership in
helping Bostonians stay safe and healthy."
The
dates and hours of operation at Central Square Park in East Boston are:
Tuesday, September 1st: 2:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, September 2nd: 9:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, September 3rd - Friday, September 4th: 2:00 p.m. - 6:30
p.m.
Saturday, September 5th: 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Tuesday, September 8th: 2:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, September 9th: 9:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, September 10th - Friday, September 11th: 2:00 p.m. - 6:30
p.m.
Saturday, September 12th: 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
This
mobile site testing initiative was announced by Mayor Walsh back in May as a
way to help fill any gaps in testing availability, prioritizing neighborhoods
and populations that need dedicated testing efforts to create equitable
access to testing. The site has previously been located in Roxbury, Allston,
South Boston and Mattapan. In Mattapan, there were 927 COVID-19 tests
ordered. Of 798 results received, less than 2.2% tested positive for
COVID-19.
"East
Boston has seen an alarming rise in COVID-19 rates and its critical that we
take
immediate
actions to stop the spread of the virus," said East Boston Neighborhood
Health Center president and CEO Manny Lopes. "Testing is one of the
most important infectious disease control tools in our arsenal and we
are glad to be partnering with the City of Boston to provide pop-up
testing sites throughout the city."
As
of August 24th, 2020, East Boston is experiencing a 10.8% average positive
test rate for the current week compared to the citywide average positive test
rate at 2.3%. Bringing the mobile testing team is one step the City of Boston
is taking to address the increase in the positivity rate in the neighborhood.
The City is in communication with the State about finding temporary isolation
housing so people can quarantine away from their families if they test
positive for COVID-19.
The
Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) has been mobilizing teams to provide
care kits, information, and education to residents and businesses using the
languages spoken in the neighborhood, including Spanish. They are
distributing information at MBTA stations and key intersections, as well as
neighborhood parks where people gather to play sports. Cross-departmental
teams in the City of Boston, elected officials who represent the
neighborhood, medical and social service providers in the community, union
leaders who represent working people in the neighborhood, and Church
officials and clergy have helped to get the message out.
In
addition to the City's mobile testing sites, COVID-19 testing is available at
over 20 locations across the city. Mobile testing sites also continue to be
available at select locations, prioritizing neighborhoods and populations
that need dedicated testing efforts to create equitable access to testing.
Individuals can call the Mayor's Health Line with any questions using
617-534-5050. For a complete list of all testing sites, visit here.
The
City of Boston has been partnering with community health centers to increase
access to testing, particularly in neighborhoods experiencing higher rates of
COVID-19. As of Monday, August 24, 2020, there were 167,859 COVID-19 tests of
Boston residents. Out of 167,859 total tests, 9.4% have tested positive,
which is down from 10.1% reported through Monday, August 17. For all Boston
residents, the positivity for tests decreased slightly from 2.7% for the
prior week (August 11-17) to 2.3% for the current week (August 18-24). The
latest numbers of cases from the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) by
neighborhoods are available here.
Mayor
Walsh and the Boston Resiliency Fund Steering Committee have dedicated over
$1,720,000 to expand COVID-19 testing and conduct culturally appropriate
outreach and education to community health centers across City of Boston
neighborhoods, including Bowdoin Street Community Health Center, Codman
Square Community Health Center, The Dimock Center, DotHouse Health, Mattapan
Community Health Center, Uphams Corner Community Health Center, Whittier
Street Community Health Center, Charles River Community Health, Fenway
Health, Greater Roslindale Medical & Dental Center, Harbor Health, East
Boston Neighborhood Health Center, Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center,
Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center, South Boston Community Health Center,
NEW Health Charlestown, South End Community Health Center, and Brookside
Community Health Center. The Fund has also supported telehealth services and
equipment at those community health centers as well to connect testing to
safe treatment options at home.
Resources
and information about COVID-19 are available online. Resources available on boston.gov
and through City departments include support for renters and homeowners;
small businesses; free meals for Boston students; free toiletries for Boston
students; support for older residents; information on homeless shelters;
resources for those in recovery or those who have a substance use disorder;
and mental health resources. More information on Boston's reopening can be
found at boston.gov/reopening.
For
additional questions or programs, please visit our coronavirus website or
call 3-1-1, Boston's 24-hour constituent hotline. Text BOSCOVID to 888-777 to
receive text alerts on a regular basis, available in 11 languages.
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