County and city officials said Tuesday night they must step up efforts to reach into the Latino and low-income communities to encourage COVID-19 testing after the closure last week of a bilingual testing site in Longmont.
“We are retooling how we are communicating with our neighborhoods with our testing,” City Manager Harold Dominiguez told the city council in a study session. “We have to try to get that message out, it is an issue we have to deal with.”
Dominguez said the city may begin putting “care packages” on door knobs in neighborhoods to inform residents about COVID-19 testing.
Boulder County Public Health Director Jeff Zayach told the council the county is using temporary “pop up” testing sites and cultural brokers in some underserved communities to boost testing.
“Obviously we need to be able to engage the Latinx community. We need to work with them,” Zayach said. “We need to find the best way to reach those communities in order for us to be successful. We are not there yet.”
Zayach gave a COVID-19 update to the city council. He indicated Boulder County’s COVID-19 numbers are better than in most other counties.
However, a surge in COVID cases may come within the next few days based on exposures during the Thanksgiving holiday, Zayach said.
Early signs show the new COVID vaccine, slated to be available nationwide, will be highly effective in fighting COVID, he added.
“There is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel,” Zayach said. “It’s very encouraging.”
A testing site at Lashley Street Station opened Nov. 24 to give Spanish-speaking community members access to bilingual staff to explain the testing process and help with access to resources.
It was supposed to operate every Tuesday but shut down last week because of low turnout.
Dominguez said there is a reluctance among low-income residents to get a COVID-19 test because of fears about costs and how the results could devastate families.
“People are asking ‘What happens if it is positive, how do I pay rent, how do I take care of my family, what if I can’t work?” Dominguez said.
The city and county can provide information about free testing sites - including at the Boulder County Fairgrounds - and how to get other help if a test comes up positive for COVID-19, officials said.
“We will get that information transmitted as we get out into the community,” Dominguez said.
