PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island’s first walk-up coronavirus testing site opened Tuesday.
The site in the parking lot of the Robert L. Bailey IV Elementary School in Providence is an effort to bring testing to underserved communities, authorities say. The state Department of Health announced Monday that COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has hit people of color particularly hard.
The site, which also offers drive-thru testing, is being run by the Providence Community Health Center.
It is a resource for people who don’t have cars and can’t drive to a more distant testing site, officials said.
“As we continue to see the spread of COVID-19 throughout our state, it is critical that everyone have access to the medical tests and care they need,” Mayor Jorge Elorza said in an emailed statement. “That’s why we are working with our community partners to provide care that is easy to get to and offered in multiple languages.”
The site has the capacity to administer 40 tests per day. The tests are by appointment only with a referral from a health care professional.
There have been 5,100 confirmed cases and 155 COVID-19-related deaths in Rhode Island as of Monday, state health officials said.
