GLOUCESTER — Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken and Public Health Director Karin Carroll report that the City of Gloucester has partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) to provide free COVID-19 testing to residents this week following a recent rise in positive cases in the community.
“Access to free testing, right here in our community, is an incredibly valuable resource as we all work to address the recent rise in positive cases, and we’re encouraging residents to take advantage of this opportunity and get tested,” Mayor Romeo Theken said. “Even if you don’t have symptoms, you could still be carrying and potentially spreading the virus, and getting tested is a precaution you can take to protect your friends and family as well as the broader community.”
“Please consider attending one of our clinics and getting tested so that you can confirm whether or not you have COVID-19,” Carroll said. “It’s imperative that we identify any additional positive cases in our city in order to reduce the spread and keep people safe and healthy.”
WHEN:
Thursday, Oct. 15 and Friday, Oct. 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
WHERE:
Stage Fort Park, Hough Avenue.
Motor vehicles will enter the park at its entrance by the Boulevard, adjacent to the tennis courts, and will exit by the Cupboard Restaurant and onto Western Avenue.
Hough Avenue will temporarily be used as a one-way road for the duration of both testing clinics.
WHO:
Testing is available for anyone and free, regardless of your address.
WHAT:
The City of Gloucester is hosting two free COVID-19 testing clinics this week in the wake of a rise in positive cases of the virus in the community.
As of today, there are 32 active cases of COVID-19 in the City. Since January, there have been 379 cases overall in Gloucester, 331 of which were confirmed and 48 were probable cases. There are 321 people in the City who have recovered from the virus, and there have been 26 COVID-19 related deaths in Gloucester since the pandemic began.
COVID-19 testing at both clinics will be open to all residents and no appointment is needed. Residents are advised that wait times could be significant depending on the attendance at each clinic.
Residents do not need to have symptoms to get tested, and test results will be provided to each participant confidentially. Participants will be asked for their name, date of birth, address, telephone number and email address in order to be contacted with their test results. Those who do participate are encouraged to share their results with their doctors.
Translators will be available at both clinics.
Residents are also reminded that COVID-19 tests can be requested at any time through your primary care physician’s office. Appointments can also be scheduled for a test at a local CVS, for those who are eligible, through the CVS website, linked here. Residents can also make an appointment to be tested at AFC American Family Care on Dodge Street in Beverly by clicking here. Testing fees at these locations may vary based on medical need and insurance coverage.
Additional testing sites can also be found on the Mass.gov website here.
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