Mayor Jack Young announced Thursday morning a partnership with the Baltimore City Health Department, Johns Hopkins Medicine, the University of Maryland Medical Center and BUILD to increase mobile on-demand testing across the city. The city will begin opening the new testing sites next week. 

“This partnership will help us increase testing availability for our residents across the city and reduce barriers we know our residents have experienced,” Young said. 

Baltimore City Health Commissioner Letitia Dzirasa noted that there are zip codes in the city where more than 20 percent of tests have come back positive and that the pandemic disproportionately impacts Black and Latinx communities. 

She said she hopes that new mobile testing sites will make it easier for residents without access to a car to get safe and reliable testing in their neighborhoods. 

“These new sites will be deployed specifically to areas that are hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic in an effort to decrease the positivity rate in those communities and provide direct services and information to those who need it most,” Dzirasa said. 

Young encouraged residents to make appointments in advance. However, residents can be tested without an appointment as long as supplies are available. 

Information on new testing locations and hours will be available on the Baltimore City Health Department’s website and social media platforms next week.