With the COVID-19 positive test rate coming down a bit here and across the city, Mayor Martin Walsh said this week he’s expecting another surge in cases following the Thanksgiving holiday.
Walsh and public health experts are still urging residents to get tested in order to know their COVID status and properly isolate to decrease the spread of the virus.
There are over 30 testing sites across the city and North End Waterfront Health (NEW Health), an affiliate of Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Medical Center, announced its site in Charlestown will remain open to all residents and patients of the health center throughout the holiday and winter season.
According to Megan Ohlson, NEW Health testing site opened this past summer to all NEW Health patients and all residents of Charlestown regardless of symptoms or insurance.
TheCharlestown site is open Monday through Friday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and has been moved indoors to the Crossroads Resource Center at 15 Tufts Street. Both drive-up and walk-up options remain available.
Appointments are required and can be made by calling 857-238-1100 for the Charlestown testing site.
Ohlson said the site will remain open as long as needed in order to ensure NEW Health is doing its part to combat COVID spread in the community.
“In the City of Boston, we are committed to providing equitable access to COVID-19 testing in our neighborhoods, and I’m pleased to build on that work with this new resource,” said Mayor Walsh. “It’s especially important now for anyone who spent the Thanksgiving holiday with people outside their household to get tested and limit the further spread of COVID-19.”
The COVID-19 test site initiative was announced by Walsh 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.
In addition to the City’s two mobile testing sites, testing is available at over 30 locations across the city. Individuals can call the Mayor’s Health Line with any questions using 617-534-5050.
A full list of testing sites across Boston can be found at https://www.boston.gov/departments/public-health-commission/covid-19-testing-sites.
Walsh recently announced the City of Boston launched “Get The Test, Boston,” a pledge designed to encourage residents to get a COVID-19 test. Additionally, businesses who sign the pledge will share testing resources and information with their employees.
The City has also been partnering with community health centers to increase access to testing, particularly in neighborhoods experiencing higher rates of COVID-19.