BOSTON — In April, East Boston was a hot spot for COVID-19, and while numbers dropped significantly since that time, over the past three weeks there has been an uptick, according to East Boston Neighborhood Health Center.
A pop-up testing site opened at Central Square in East Boston and will offer free tests for two weeks, according to EBNHC.
“I will be getting tested just to make sure,” said Nicole Olivera, a lifelong East Boston resident.
On April 29, 45% of the people tested at that time in East Boston were positive for COVID-19. The cumulative rate is now down to 17.2%, according to the Boston Public Health Commission.
The current week percentage of people positive for COVID-19 was 10.8% for East Boston, according to the most recent city data from August 24, which was the highest of any neighborhood in Boston.
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Health and Human Services Chief Marty Martinez said digging deeper into the positive cases continues to show racial disparities.
“Not only the neighborhood issues but we’ve also seen the Latino rate has climbed over the past several weeks and months,” Martinez said. “So we see more Latinx, testing positive.”
Some of that, Martinez said, is based on the number of front-line workers who live in East Boston and overcrowded housing. Other factors include affordable healthcare and access to preventable healthcare that Martinez said makes certain groups more vulnerable to infection from the virus.
Last week, city workers visited businesses in Maverick Square to explain precautions that remain important and post signs in multiple languages to remind people to continue to wear masks, practice good hygiene and keep social distance, Martinez explained.
The pop-up testing site in East Boston is located at 201 Border Street in East Boston and goes from September 1 through September 12. Appointments are not needed, but those who wish to be tested have to register by calling 617-568-4500.
For a list of testing sites across the commonwealth, you are asked to visit the state’s interactive testing map.
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