Video:COVID-19 testing begins at Lowell Community Health Center Soft launch held Thursday at Jackson Street facility

COVID-19 testing begins at Lowell Community Health Center

Soft launch held Thursday at Jackson Street facility.

The Lowell Community Health Center, one of a dozen community health centers across the state planning to offer COVID-19 testing, kicked off its testing effort on Thursday afternoon with a soft opening of their testing site on Jackson Street.

The health center, thanks to a partnership between the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and Quest Diagnostics, will provide drive-by and walk-up COVID-19 testing provided by Quest Diagnostics.

In announcing the initiative to begin testing at a dozen community health centers statewide, Gov. Charlie Baker last week noted that increasing the availability of testing is critical in his administration’s effort to get the state economy reopened.

The site will be located outside the health center in the location that typically houses the Mill City Grows Mobile Market, and will not be open on days when the weather is bad, according to Gunther. The site will be open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

It will be staffed by a Lowell Community Health Center dentist who will gather swabs with help from two medical assistants in full personal protective equipment. Security staff will also be present.