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PRESS RELEASE
Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young Announces New Initiative for Mobile Community-Based Testing Sites in Baltimore City
Mayor Young announces Baltimore City Health Department will provide mobile community-based testing through additional sites
BALTIMORE, MD. — Today, Mayor Bernard “Jack” Young, as part of his strategy to increase access to COVID-19 testing sites to all Baltimore City residents, announced the launch of a mobile community-based testing initiative:
“As I have repeatedly said, for us to re-open Baltimore City, we need to increase our resident’s access to COVID-19 testing. These neighborhood-based testing sites are a part of a larger strategy to provide resources directly to residents, in their own neighborhoods,” Mayor Young said. “I’m proud of the work the Baltimore City Health Department and our partners are doing to ensure our residents’ safety and health.”
This week, the Health Department, in conjunction with site-based partners, began its mobile community-based testing in three neighborhoods:
- Cherry Hill
- Brooklyn
- Highlandtown
The testing sites were selected based on data around testing needs within different City zipcodes, and allow residents to obtain testing through walk-up capacity, without the need for an appointment or referral. The sites in Cherry Hill and Brooklyn were facilitated with the assistance of Family Health Centers of Baltimore, and the site in Highlandtown was facilitated with the assistance of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and The Redemptorists.
“I want to thank Family Health Centers of Baltimore, the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and The Redemptorists for their work in bringing these sites together,” Mayor Young said. “We will continue to look for innovative ways to expand testing and remove barriers to testing, but we still need more help from the State to acquire more tests.”
Testing capacity at these sites remains limited, and residents are still advised to call their primary care physician or 2-1-1 in order to speak with a physician about their personal symptoms and health information. The Health Department is collaborating with community-based organizations to reach out to residents who could benefit from mobile testing resources.
For more information on COVID-19, residents should visit coronavirus.baltimorecity.gov. If you are feeling sick, or have questions about COVID-19 symptoms, call 2-1-1.
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