Gov. Newsom announces free COVID-19 testing site to open in East Bakersfield

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Kern County Board of Supervisors Chair, Supervisor Leticia Perez in coordination with Gov. Newsom recently announced a public-private partnership to open a new Verily COVID-19 community-based testing site at the Richard Prado Senior Center in East Bakersfield.

This test site will focus on providing free tests to underserved communities as well as communities of color who in the past have had limited access to testing and are disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

“As we know, communities of color are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 at an alarming rate. There is an inequitable amount of testing and treatment being done in these communities and the data show us that there is an increasingly higher death rate for African American and Latino patients suffering from this virus. Many of these individuals are our grocery store clerks, bus drivers, farm workers, medical assistants and first responders who have risked their lives daily in order to keep our state and our country operational. Governor Newsom and I are committed to supporting these at-risk communities and I thank him for his uncompromising leadership during this global adversity” said Supervisor Perez.