For Immediate Release
August 3, 2020
Pawtucket Central Falls Rapid Testing Site Relocated
Call 855-843-7620 to Schedule Appointment
Pawtucket – Pawtucket Mayor Donald R. Grebien, Central Falls Mayor James A. Diossa, CVS Health, the BEAT COVID-19 initiative, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), and the Health Equity Zone (HEZ) have announced that the rapid testing site for Pawtucket and Central Falls residents will be relocating to 91 Dexter Street in Pawtucket. Residents are asked to continue to call 855-843-7620 to schedule appointments.
“The CVS Health rapid testing site has been integral to combating the coronavirus pandemic in Pawtucket and Central Falls,” said Mayor Grebien. “On behalf of the BEAT COVID-19 initiative we would like to thank Governor Raimondo, CVS Health, RIDOH, HEZ and all of our community partners who have helped us since the start of the initiative. Together, we will continue to ensure that our residents have easy access to testing. I would also like to recognize Rhode Island College for allowing us to use their site for the past few months.”
“We have been so grateful to CVS Health and Rhode Island College for allowing us to use the space at 934 Dexter Street and are thankful that a testing site will remain local at the new location on Dexter Street in Pawtucket,” said Mayor Diossa. “The BEAT COVID-19 initiative, with all of its amazing partners, has allowed the residents of Central Falls and Pawtucket to access critical resources like testing and family support services, and I am glad that it will continue the process in its new location.”
“Working with the BEAT COVID-19 Initiative to support community-based testing in Pawtucket and Central Falls is an important part of our comprehensive COVID-19 testing strategy,” said Dr. Garth Graham, Vice President, Community Health and Chief Community Health Officer, CVS Health. “We appreciate the leadership of Mayors Grebien and Diossa in coordinating this effort which allows us to further expand testing in areas of greatest need.”
“Together with the Cities, the Health Equity Zone collaborative partnership is focused on addressing the disproportionate burden the virus has put on Pawtucket and Central Falls. Testing is a critical step in protecting our neighbors,” said Jeanne Cola, Executive Director of Local Initiatives Support Corporation, the backbone agency for the PCF HEZ. “We are incredibly grateful for the rapid testing that CVS is bringing us. It’s free, fast and there are no questions asked.”
The site will remain an extension of the BEAT COVID-19 initiative, a one-of-a-kind grassroots system that gives people in both Pawtucket and Central Falls – who otherwise might not feel comfortable getting tested or have access to a primary care doctor – access to testing, information about how to be safe while sick and protect their family and community, and resources to overcome hardships associated with the coronavirus pandemic.
Any resident of the two communities who experiences loss of taste and/or smell, fever, a bad cough, or other symptoms is urged to call 855-843-7620 as soon as those symptoms begin. People who are exposed to someone with COVID-19, work in a high-risk occupation located in Pawtucket, or live in a neighborhood that has had many people infected should also call 855-843-7620 today to schedule an appointment for a free coronavirus test.
The call line operates 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday through Friday. Residents needing assistance can speak to BEAT COVID-19 representatives in four languages; English, Spanish, Cape Verdean Creole, and Portuguese.
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Wilder Arboleda
City of Pawtucket
Office of the Mayor
137 Roosevelt Avenue
Pawtucket, RI 02860
Office: 401-728-0500 Ext. 358
warboleda@pawtucketri.com