Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas announced a new COVID-19 mobile testing site will open Wednesday at the Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) to serve residents in Willowbrook, South Los Angeles, and surrounding neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
CDU is also slated to begin analyzing demographic data to determine the novel coronavirus\u2019 effect on diverse communities across Los Angeles County.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is heartening to know that residents of South LA and the surrounding areas will now have a convenient place to get tested,\u201d Supervisor Ridley-Thomas said. \u201cIt is imperative, now more than ever, to ensure that we are continuing our work against longstanding health disparities by ensuring greater equity and access to resources in our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs the statistics are now showing, under-resourced communities of color are being disproportionately affected by the novel coronavirus. However, there have been very few, if any, COVID-19 testing sites in these communities,\u201d said CDU President and CEO Dr. David M. Carlisle.\u00a0\u201cTesting is critical to disease detection that helps us \u2018flatten the curve\u2019 of the spread of COVID-19 \u2014 for everyone. It is extremely important that we make these tests available to hard-hit communities of color.\u00a0CDU\u00a0as a community-founded institution\u00a0has been in South Los Angeles for 53 years with a commitment to eliminating health disparities. This is why we are partnering to open a testing center and better serve our community.\u201d<\/p>\n
CDU is located across the street from the state-of-the-art Martin Luther King, Jr. Medical Campus, which provides an array of vital services to the community, including urgent care, hospitalization and recuperative care for people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19.<\/p>\n