Amid a rapid surge of COVID-19 cases, the city of Cincinnati will expand public testing to six new locations that place an emphasis on racial equity, Mayor Aftab Pureval announced Thursday.
The move came as Cincinnati reported a record 999 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. On Monday, city health officials said cases were doubling every three days.
The addition of the six sites, which will start to open Monday, is made possible through a partnership with multiple organizations that were strategically selected to get more testing resources to diverse communities. Rapid test kits have run out in multiple locations in the county amid the appearance of the omicron variant and residents have reported hours-long waits at drive-thru testing locations in the region.
The rapid testing is free to the public and proof of Cincinnati residence is not required. The testing will be done indoors at all locations.
The new testing locations will be the African American Chamber of Commerce of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, Corinthian Baptist Church, New Prospect Baptist Church, Truth & Destiny Church, Su Casa Hispanic Ministry, and the Urban League of Greater Southwest Ohio. All of the locations are in minority-majority neighborhoods or are in buildings linked to minority communities.
Speaking at a news conference where he also announced he will reconvene a daily internal task force to advise the city's COVID response, the mayor said the need for more testing options is at an all-time high.
"We are not waiting," Pureval said speaking to reporters on his second day in office. "...Across America, COVID continues to endure. Cincinnati is no different."
On Thursday, Cincinnati reported a record 999 new cases of COVID-19.
"We've hit the ceiling again," Health Commissioner Melba Moore said at the news conference. "This has impacted our hospitalizations. We currently have 160 people hospitalized."
Below is the schedule for testing at the newly announced sites.
African American Chamber of Commerce
Location: 2303 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills.
Time and dates: Mondays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a two-week period beginning Jan 10. Mondays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a six-week period beginning Jan 31.
Corinthian Baptist Church
Location: 1920 Tennessee Ave., Paddock Hills.
Time and dates: Mondays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a two-week period beginning Jan. 10. Mondays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a six-week period beginning on Jan. 31.
New Prospect Baptist Church
Location: 1580 Summit Road, Roselawn.
Time and dates: Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a two-week period beginning Jan. 11. Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a six-week period beginning Feb. 1.
Truth & Destiny Church
Location: 2645 W. North Bend Road, Mount Airy.
Time and dates: Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a two-week period beginning Jan. 13. Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a six-week period beginning Feb. 3.
Su Casa Hispanic Ministry
Location: 7162 Reading Road, Roselawn.
Time and dates: Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a two-week period beginning Jan. 13. Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a six-week period beginning Feb. 3.
Urban League of Greater Southwest Ohio
Location: 3458 Reading Road, Avondale.
Times and dates: Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a two-week period beginning Jan. 14. Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a six-week period beginning Feb. 4.
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