Free COVID-19 testing now in Grove Hall

Mayor Martin J. Walsh, in partnership with East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, announced that the City of Boston's COVID-19 mobile testing site will now be located in Grove Hall. Testing will be available starting today, Tuesday, September 22, through Saturday, October 3, at 40 Geneva Avenue in Dorchester, across from the Grove Hall Branch of the Boston Public Library. Testing will be available at no cost and for both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. No appointment is needed but registration is required. To pre-register, call 617-568-4500 (if you cannot reach this number, please call 617-569-5800 for assistance).

"Our mobile testing team was created to strategically expand testing in neighborhoods most in need because we know this is fundamental for keeping residents safe and healthy," said Mayor Walsh. "Thank you to East Boston Neighborhood Health Center for their continued partnership throughout the pandemic."

The dates and hours of operation in the mobile testing site in Grove Hall are:

Tuesday, September 22- Friday, September 25: 1 - 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 26: 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Tuesday, September 29 - Friday, October 2: 1 - 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 3: 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

This mobile site testing initiative was announced by Mayor Walsh back 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. The site has previously been located in Roxbury, Allston, South Boston, Mattapan and East Boston. In the East Boston pop up site location, there were 2,519 COVID-19 tests ordered. Of results received, approximately 4.9 percent tested positive for COVID-19.

"We are proud to continue working with the City of Boston to set up pop-up testing sites throughout the city," said East Boston Neighborhood Health Center president and CEO Manny Lopes. "By providing sites that are accessible to residents throughout Boston, we can help identify infection and minimize the spread of COVID-19. East Boston Neighborhood Health Center is proud to play a role in this citywide public health response to the pandemic, especially as we enter the fall season."

In addition to the City's mobile testing sites, 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 Monday, September 14, 2020, there were 222,242 COVID-19 tests of Boston residents. Out of 222,242 total tests, 7.5% have tested positive, which is down from 7.9% reported through Monday, September 7, 2020. For all Boston residents, the positivity for tests increased slightly from 1.6% for the prior week (September 1-8) to 2.8% for the current week (September 8-14). The latest numbers of cases from the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) by neighborhoods are available here.

Mayor Walsh and the Boston Resiliency Fund Steering Committee have dedicated over $1,794,825 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.