When Governor Gretchen Whitmer addressed her latest coronavirus update last week, she promised that multiple new neighborhood testing sites across the state would begin offering COVID-19 testing, including proposed sites in Benton Harbor and Niles. While the Benton Harbor site is yet to be identified, the Niles site is now established along with four other sites across the state.
Niles is among the five additional Neighborhood Testing Sites that are opening this week, bringing the total number of community sites offering COVID-19 testing across Michigan to 17. The Michigan Department of the Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is working with trusted community partners including churches, community colleges and nonprofit organizations to launch the sites.
The Niles site is designated for Hope Community Church on Lake Street. Additional information on that site is included in the list below.
Testing is free and locations were chosen in part to help address racial and ethnic disparities that had existed prior to the pandemic and were exacerbated by the virus. Language translation is being provided at all sites, as well as assistance for the deaf and hard of hearing.
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Chief Medical Executive and Chief Deputy of Health at the MDHHS, says, “We are working to make these Neighborhood Testing Sites as accessible as possible to the communities most in need,” and adds, “Ensuring all Michiganders can get tested is a priority for the department and we appreciate the partnerships with these community organizations helping make that happen.”
New sites in Detroit, Saginaw, Lansing, Niles and Wayne are opening this week. They join 12 other sites in Albion, Detroit, Ecorse, Flint, Graying and Roseville. Additional sites are slated in Benton Harbor, Grand Rapids and Muskegon in coming weeks which will bring the total number of these sites to 22.
Testing sites are offering saliva tests, which are less invasive than nasal swabs and may make the testing process more tolerable for some people. Since the sites began operations on August 28th, more than 700 people have received a COVID-19 test at these locations.
Appointments are strongly encouraged and can be made either by calling the COVID-19 hotline at 888-535-6136 and selecting “1” or online. Walk-ins will be taken as space allows, but pre-registration is strongly advised. Online registration is available at this link:
http://Michigan.gov/CoronavirusTest
Test results can be obtained via phone, email or by logging into the results portal.
Test sites opening this week are as follows:
- Saginaw: New Beginnings Deliverance Ministry, 2609 East Genesee, Saginaw. Open Tuesday, Sept. 8th. Hours: Mondays 10 am – 5 pm; Tuesdays 10 am. – 5 pm; Thursdays 12 – 7 pm.
- Wayne: New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, 33640 Michigan Avenue, Wayne. Open Wednesday, Sept. 9th. Hours: Mondays 10 am – 6 pm; Wednesdays 12 – 8 pm; Fridays 10 am – 6 pm.
- Niles: Hope Community Church, 2390 Lake Street, Niles. Open Wednesday, Sept. 9th. Hours: Mondays 10 am – 5 pm; Wednesdays 10 am – 5 pm; Thursdays 12 – 7 pm.
- Detroit: The Open Door Church of God in Christ, 12411 East 7 Mile, Detroit. – Open Thursday, Sept. 10th. Hours: Tuesdays 10 am – 6 pm; Wednesdays 10 am – 6 pm; Thursdays 10 am – 6 pm.
- Lansing: Epicenter of Worship, 517 W. Jolly Road, Lansing. Open Thursday, Sept. 10th. Hours: Tuesdays 11 am – 7 pm; Thursdays 10 am – 5 pm; Sundays 11 am – 3 pm.
Additional sites will be announced as they are confirmed.
