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BOSTON
- Wednesday, August 19, 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
Mattapan. This COVID-19 testing initiative will be available starting
Thursday, August 20 to Saturday, August 29 at Jubilee Christian Church on
1500 Blue Hill Avenue in Mattapan. 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.
"Our
mobile testing teams have played a role in increasing both the capacity and
the access to testing in our neighborhoods. We are offering testing to
anyone who wants it, at no cost and regardless of symptoms," said
Mayor Walsh. "We are going to continue to bring testing wherever is
needed, and I encourage everyone to get tested regularly. Knowledge is
power in this situation, for individuals and for our community."
The
dates and hours of operation at Jubilee Christian Church on 1500 Blue Hill
Avenue, in Mattapan are:
Thursday, August 20 and Friday, August 21: 2:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 22: 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Tuesday, August 25 to Friday, August 28: 2:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 29: 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
This
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 and
South Boston. In South Boston, there were 3,067 COVID-19 tests conducted.
Of 2,838 results received, less than 1% tested positive for COVID-19.
"We
are glad to be partnering with the City of Boston to provide pop-up testing
sites throughout the city," said East Boston Neighborhood Health
Center president and CEO Manny Lopes. "Testing is one of the ways
that we can mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and by offering accessible
testing at sites in Boston, we are able to minimize the spread especially
among our most vulnerable populations. For 50 years, East Boston
Neighborhood Health Center has served residents of Boston regardless
of status and we will continue to do so, even in the face of new
challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic."
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 10, 2020, there were 139,119
COVID-19 tests of Boston residents. Out of 139,119 total tests, 10.9% have
tested positive, which is down from 11.6% reported through Monday, August
3. For all Boston residents, the positivity for tests decreased slightly
from 2.8% for the prior week (July 28 to August 3) to 2.6% for the current
week (August 4-10). The latest numbers of cases by Boston 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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