LOS ANGELES, Calif. — A program that will offer free COVID-19 testing at 35 Black churches across California kicks off this week in Los Angeles.
The First AME Church in South Los Angeles is one of three initial sites offering a free drive-thru and walk-up testing service along with Church One Ministries in Long Beach and Temple of Deliverance in Palmdale.
The Black church COVID-19 testing partnership will open 12 additional free testing sites at Black churches across Southern California over the next two week.
The program comes as health officials report African-American communities are one of the hardest hit by the pandemic while also facing a lack of testing access.
Latisha Castile, a healthcare worker, said it was a relief to know that First AME Church offered free testing. She provides in-home care to the elderly, and it wasn’t easy finding a place to get a test.
“I was calling around to get appointments, and they said you have to have insurance,” Castile said. “And one place I went, they wanted to charge me $100 for a test and stuff.”
Pastor “J” Edgar Boyd with the First AME Church said some African-American community members might be reluctant to sign-up at local government-run testing sites.
“African Americans historically have had a verified and justifiable distrust in institutionalized medicine,” Boyd said.
By offering testing at Black churches, Boyd said it provides a place that community members trust.
“The Black church, as churches in most communities, the church represents truth, honesty. It’s a believable, credible source of information,” Boyd said. “It’s a credible place for people to have their concerns met.”
He said while the vaccine rolls out, testing is still necessary to reduce community transmission.
“Testing is our only safe process,” he said. “It’s the only thing right now that is going to help us feel safe and manage this crisis until we can get people vaccinated to a full 85% or 95%.”
The goal is to test up to 150 people every day at each site across California. To find a testing site near you, visit www.aacec-cal.org/covid19testing.