New Walk-Thru Mount Vernon Coronavirus Testing Site Now Open

MOUNT VERNON, NY – A new walk-thru testing facility for the new coronavirus has opened in Mount Vernon, as part the the city's effort to help identify patients and stop the spread of the disease.

Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard discussed the new testing facility during a Facebook live discussion with Westchester County Executive George Latimer Monday morning. The new testing site has the capacity to test 125 people per day.

"As we look at the numbers we receive from the county each day, the one thing we noticed, as numbers were growing in buildings we were seeing them all in the wealthier parts of Mount Vernon," Patterson-Howard said. "What was very surprising was that we did not see clusters developing in our public housing or our affordable housing complexes and for us that just let us know that they didn't have access to testing. It's not that people are not positive there, it's that they're not being tested."

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Patterson-Howard said her concern was that if people in the most densely part of the city were not being tested – and they were living in apartments without access to backyard or space to distance themselves – it would be a major cause for concern, both in terms of healthcare and managing the spread.

The new testing site opened on Friday, April 17 at the Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center. This mobile facility will operate as a walk-through facility for those who do not have access to a car. The testing site is available by appointment only and walk-in appointments will not be allowed. The facility is opened Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Testing priority will be given to first responders and people experiencing respiratory distress. Those seeking a test should call 1-888-364-3065 for evaluation and appointment scheduling.