(WWJ) Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and other community leaders are working hard to make testing available close to home for city residents.
“It is really important we stop the spread in the city,” Mayor Duggan said during Friday’s press conference. “Separating the infectious from the non-infectious is the centerpiece.”
Duggan said Reverend Horace Sheffield and Detroit Association of Black Organizations (DABO) have created numerous community testing sites.
Detroit residents will be able to get tested Saturdays and Sundays for the rest of May (16, 17, 23, 24, 30, 31) for free. They do not need to be experiencing symptoms or have a prescription.
Community testing will be available at:
-DMC Sinai Grace Hospital
-Northwest Activities Center
-Perfecting Church
-DABO Sheffield Center
Reverend Sheffield said about 150 people per day are calling to schedule an appointment.
Sheffield, a coronavirus survivor, said he was inspired to ramp testing in the city because he initially had difficulty accessing a test after returning from a meeting in New York.
“I felt so bad, never felt so bad in my life,” Sheffield said during the press conference, “…And the reason I’m into testing is because most of the testing protocols would not allow me to get tested because I didn’t have a fever.”
A contact tracing agency is in place in the City of Detroit to follow up with anyone who tests positive, according to Sheffield.
The testing is made available thanks to the Detroit Association of Black Organizations; Wayne State University and Sinai Grace.
Duggan called on more community groups and churches to set up additional community test sites.
“We are going to beat COVID-19 as a community,” Duggan said.
If you live in Detroit, you can make an appointment and get more information at (313) 706-2750 or by emailing testing@dabodetroitinc.com.
Testing is available at the State Fairgrounds for essential workers, Detroit residents over 60; and residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb County experiencing severe or mild symptoms. Click here to learn more.