Press Release Baker-Polito Administration Announces New Free COVID-19 Testing Site in Winthrop

Boston — Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced the continued expansion of its “Stop the Spread” initiative, which provides free COVID-19 testing in targeted communities across the Commonwealth, with a new testing site in Winthrop.

This site joins testing sites in 20 other communities: Agawam, Brockton, Chelsea, Everett, Fall River, Framingham, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Marlborough, Methuen, New Bedford, Randolph, Revere, Salem, Saugus, Springfield, Taunton, Winthrop and Worcester.

The Stop the Spread initiative is a data-driven targeted effort to reduce the prevalence of COVID-19 in communities that are above the state average in total cases and positive test rates, and have experienced a decline in testing levels since April. All residents of these 21 communities, including asymptomatic individuals, are urged to get tested at one of these locations. While the sites are located in targeted communities, these testing resources are open to all residents of the Commonwealth.

Between August 2 and August 15, Winthrop’s average daily COVID-19 incidence rate per 100,000 residents was 11.37, trending higher than the community’s previous case count period.

Residents can visit the initiative’s website at mass.gov/stopthespread to find testing locations and additional information. Residents are reminded that if they test positive for COVID-19, please answer the call when they are contacted by the Community Tracing Collaborative or their local board of health. Also, any individual who needs a safe place to isolate can call (617) 367-5150 to access an isolation and recovery site at no cost.

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