Dallas Buying At-Home COVID-19 Tests

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DALLAS (1080 KRLD) - The City of Dallas will pay a medical services company $660,000 over the next year to provide COVID-19 tests that people can administer themselves at home. Council Members say they're concerned that not everyone who needs to be tested can make it to one of the two drive-through testing locations.

"It is crucial that we continue to ramp up testing," said Council Member Jennifer Staubach Gates. "We've got to do everything in our power to be able to better understand the prevalence and take care of our residents. We have been challenged by residents that can't get to our drive-through facilities."

The city is using money it got from a federal grant through the CARES Act that was approved by Congress.

"We definitely do need more testing," said Council Member Adam Bazaldua. "We also need to make sure that the testing availability that we offer are going to touch on and address a lot of the racial disparities that we have seen exist on this virus' impact across the country. There are also a need and a concern for how available the testing sites are to those who do not have vehicles."

The Dallas City Council just unanimously approved a $660k contract to provide mobile #COVID19 testing to those who lack transportation to get to a drive-through site. This is a step toward equity and access that will aid our economic recovery efforts and public health response.

— Mayor Eric Johnson (@Johnson4Dallas) May 13, 2020