Ten days in May. Twenty-four churches around New York City. Nearly 20,000 coronavirus tests.
Over the past few weeks, churches serving communities of color have been transformed overnight into mini-clinics offering free coronavirus tests to all comers. The initiative, a partnership of the churches, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s office and Northwell Health, is an effort to expand testing among black and Hispanic citizens, who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
Black and Latino New Yorkers have succumbed to Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, at twice the rate of whites, a result of entrenched economic and health disparities, denser housing and a higher risk of exposure on the job.
Participants were asked to preregister by phone, but walk-ins were accommodated so long as they lined up six feet apart and wore masks. Among those who sought testing on a cool, sunny Wednesday in May were two teenage brothers who recently went to a hospital to take home their 50-year-old father, only to find he had died of the virus.
“We were expecting him to be released and were texting with him,” said one brother, who identified himself only as Angel.
Ten days in May. Twenty-four churches around New York City. Nearly 20,000 coronavirus tests.
Over the past few weeks, churches serving communities of color have been transformed overnight into mini-clinics offering free coronavirus tests to all comers. https://t.co/WB9v4uFjjp
— Father Edward Beck (@FrEdwardBeck) June 11, 2020