Free pop-up testing in Dayton on Saturday
Free pop-up coronavirus testing is available inDayton this Saturday.
Community Health Centers of Greater Dayton will hold the drive-up and walk-up testing event 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at its CharlesDrew Health Center, 1323W. Third St.
Testing will be available for individuals with or without symptoms and no doctor’s orders are needed. The test has no out-of-pocket cost to the patient. Any individuals 12 years old and over can be tested, but minors will need a signed consent of a parent and guardian.
Formore information, call 937-586-9733 extension 0 or visit CommunityHealthDayton.org.
In May, the Governor’s COVID-19 Minority Health Strike Force issued an interim report that included the importance of testing access incommunities of color. The report found that as of May 20, looking at COVID-19 cases where race was specified, black Ohioans made up 25% of cases but about 14% of Ohio’s population and Latinos, whomakeup3.9% ofthe state population, accounted for 6% of COVID-19 cases. Months later, these disparities continue to be documented among case counts, hospitalizations and deaths.
As a response, the strike force announced a walk-up and drive-uptesting initiative withcommunity health centers and the Ohio National Guard, such as the testing site Saturday in Dayton.
Testing in Ohio significantly increased in July and August comparedtoearly in thepandemic.
The latest state data available reported 20,053 PCR tests performed on Aug. 23 with a seven-day average of 4% of tests coming back positive. Ohio ans who test positive using other types of lab tests such as rapid antigen testing have their test recorded separately as a probable case and only considered a probably case if they have a positive antigen test aswell as either symptoms or epidemiological link to known cases.