Houses of worship are now joining the battle to fight against COVID-19. 

Northwell Health is teaming up with several churches across the city to offer COVID-19 testing to families in low-income communities. 

Health officials say communities of color have been the hardest-hit areas of COVID-19.

Testing is being offered at 24 houses of worship that are being turned into temporary testing sites. The first group of church-based sites is scheduled to open their doors starting Tuesday through May 16, followed by the second group to begin testing from May 19 through May 23. 

Councilman Fernando Cabrera, who is also a Bronx pastor, says more testing is needed to reduce the spread of the virus in communities of color hit hard by the coronavirus. 

 

“In the Bronx, we were getting hit hard. We were not getting the testing that was needed, finally, they are coming in. Let's take advantage of it,” said Cabrera.   

Although Cabrera’s church isn’t one of the testing sites, he says houses of worship play an important role in many African American and Latino communities. 

He believes the church-based sites will encourage more people in low-income neighborhoods to get tested.