Free pop-up COVID-19 testing coming to Allston

Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced that the City of Boston, in partnership with the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, is offering confidential COVID-19 testing at no cost for both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals at a pop-up location in Allston. The COVID-19 testing initiative will be available for residents starting today, Tuesday, July 21 to Saturday, August 1 at BCYF Jackson Mann Community Center located at 500 Cambridge Street in Allston. Testing is available to anyone by walk-up only. Registration is not mandatory, but residents are encouraged to register in advance by calling (617) 568-4500 or (617) 569-5800. 

"COVID-19 testing is fundamental to individuals and families' clarity, and it's also important for guiding our gradual and safe reopening plans. As a City, we will continue to place the health and safety of our residents as our top priority so we must continue to make decisions based on public health data," said Mayor Walsh. "Thank you to the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center for your partnership in making COVID-19 testing more accessible for more residents."

The dates and hours of operation at BCYF Jackson Mann Community Center are: 

• Tuesday, July 21 - Friday, July 24: 2:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• Saturday, July 25: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, July 28- Friday, July 31: 2:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• Saturday, August 1: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.  

In addition to the pop-up site in Allston, 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 July 13, 2020, there have been 99,279 COVID-19 tests of Boston residents of which 14.2 percent have testing positive, down from 15.2 percent reported through July 6, 2020. The incidence rate of COVID-19 has been higher for East Boston, Mattapan, Hyde Park and Dorchester compared to the rest of Boston. Of cases where race/ethnicity was known, as of July 17, 4 percent were Asian, 37 percent were Black, 28 percent were Hispanic or Latino, 25 percent were white, and 7 percent identified as multi-racial or another racial/ethnic group. 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.