Mayor Daniel Rivera, with Lawrence City Council President, Kendrys Vasquez, and Deb Wilson, President of Lawrence General Hospital, announces the City of Lawrence Mobile Health Unit, powered by Lawrence General Hospital. A $255,000 Mobile Health Unit purchased by the City of Lawrence is set to hit the streets today to offer mobile testing for COVID-19. The Mobile Health Unit, which will be powered and operated by Lawrence General Hospital, will travel to every Lawrence neighborhood on a rolling basis to conduct COVID-19 testing. “Lawrence has been hit hard by COVID-19. We have been marked as a red community week after week, now having the second highest daily incidence rate in the state while still falling 19th for testing rates.” said Mayor Daniel Rivera. “It is clear to me that we need to increase our testing numbers. It is time to double down on the city’s investment for COVID testing. We are now adding more testing on the road with a new mobile unit.”
The Mobile Testing Unit schedule will allow for residents to get free testing, right in their neighborhood. “Our working families are already struggling with job loss, the learning curve of remote learning, and lack of childcare. It is crucial that we make testing free, accessible and convenient for our community nights, days, and weekends. When residents see the Mobile Health Unit rolling through their neighborhood they should get tested”
“To be able to combat this virus it is imperative that we know who has been infected and where they were infected, testing is a major part of that,” says City Council President Kendrys Vasquez. “Making testing readily available to our neighborhoods will be essential in our fight to stop spread and get out of the red. I encourage all Lawrence residents to take their families to get tested when the Mobile Test Unit is in their neighborhood, it is convenient, free and reassuring.”
“This mobile health unit powered by Lawrence General Hospital for COVID-19 testing is another major investment the City of Lawrence and the Hospital have made together to increase testing volume, so that we can keep the community healthy, and reduce the spread of COVID-19”, said Deborah J. Wilson, President & Chief Executive Officer, Lawrence General Hospital. “The collaboration between the state government, city government, Mayor Dan Rivera and the team at the hospital has been extraordinary. This is not the first time our community has risen to a challenge like this, and we are advancing every conceivable method available to us to stop the spread”, she added.
"Increased testing is critical to preventing the spread of COVID-19 in Lawrence. This new Mobile Testing Unit will expand accessibility to testing for residents, and I encourage anyone who experiences symptoms or has been in contact with someone who has tested positive to get tested as soon as possible," said State Senator Barry Finegold.
“The unveiling of the Mobile Health Unit in our city is a new step forward to keep fighting back and controlling this dreadful pandemic that has caused the loss of lives and downfall of our economy. This unit symbolizes more hope and social justice since it will administer reliable and quick COVID-19 tests to our residents, particularly to the most disadvantaged and vulnerable population in our city”, says State Representative Marcos Devers.
State Representative Christina Minicucci states "The Lawrence General Hospital has been on the front lines of Covid-19 since March. While we might be in a better place now, this fight is not over, and testing is the key to keeping the spread of Covid-19 at bay. With the unveiling of this new mobile unit, Lawrence General continues to fulfill its commitment to the health and wellness of the Merrimack Valley, making Covid-19 testing more accessible to all members of our community."
The current Mobile Health Unit will be temporary, with a larger model currently being built, that will be on the road in January of 2021. Today, the Mobile Health Unit will be at the Merrimack Court Housing Development run by the Lawrence Housing Authority that houses 296 families.
For details on the Mobile Health Unit’s location and hours of operation visit: http://www.cityoflawrence.com/878/Mobile-Unit-Tracking
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