Black Churches Partner With LA County To Provide COVID Testing To Underserved Communities
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Eight historically Black churches have partnered up with the Los Angeles County Public Health Department to provide free coronavirus testing in underserved Black communities.
L.A. County and the Tabernacle Community Development Corporation and the African American Community Empowerment Council launched a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site at the First AME Church Wednesday.
"What we're knowing, is that here in L.A. County, we recognize that there's a divide in access to care for our Black and our Brown communities, so we're thankful from the support from Gov. Newsom, the Board of Supervisors and our Black churches," Dr. Tasha Dixon, a physician at Martin Luther King, Jr. Outpatient Center, told CBSLA Thursday morning.
The program will involve hosting free coronavirus testing at First AME and seven other L.A.-area churches through at least June 30. The goal is to test 150 people daily at each site.
The testing will not require appointments. For a list of church locations taking part, click here.
"L.A. County is grateful to work alongside First AME Church of Los Angeles, a long-time leader in this community, to roll out this new program that will increase COVID-19 testing access for the County's Black residents," said L.A. County Health Services COVID-19 Testing Lead Dr. Clemens Hong. "While LA County has made strides in expanding access to COVID-19 testing, this new partnership will further ensure equitable access to testing for the Black community as testing remains a critical piece of reducing community transmission and improving health outcomes."
