BOSTON — Boston Mayor Marty Walsh on Tuesday said he was encouraging all city residents to get tested for COVID-19, regardless of whether they have had symptoms or contact with an infected person.
City officials said the average number of coronavirus tests administered last week declined from approximately 1,800 per day to 1,500. Meanwhile, officials said the rate of positive results climbed to 6.2% for the week of Oct. 13-19.
Getting more people tested is a key to avoid rolling back the city’s economic reopening, officials said.
Two mobile testing sites offer free testing in Boston, available to all residents regardless of symptoms. They’ll be located in East Boston and Roxbury through at least the end of the month.
Other testing facilities may have their own policies regarding the availability of testing for asymptomatic individuals and insurance coverage, so city officials urge residents to call ahead to check availability and schedule an appointment.
As of Monday afternoon, Boston public health officials reported 19,754 cases of the coronavirus had been diagnosed in the city. Of those, 777 patients have died and 16,896 had recovered.
Massachusetts overall has reported 148,336 cases since the start of the pandemic.