Mass. offering COVID-19 testing for attendees of large gatherings starting Wednesday

Posted: Jun 15, 2020 / 06:00 PM EDT / Updated: Jun 17, 2020 / 06:14 AM EDT

BOSTON (WPRI) — Massachusetts officials are encouraging people who have recently participated in a large gathering such as a protest to get tested for COVID-19.

Gov. Charlie Baker announced pop-up testing sites will be available at more than 50 locations around the state on Wednesday and Thursday.

Full list of testing sites (Mass.gov) »

The tests are free and the results will be given confidentially.

Baker warned that COVID-19 can spread easily within large groups of people in close contact, and people not experiencing any symptoms can still have the virus and spread it.

“Any time large groups of people come together, there is a risk of transmission,” he said. “We certainly support people’s rights to express their views peacefully, but we need to keep up the fight to stop the spread of COVID-19 here in Massachusetts.”

On Tuesday, the Mass. Department of Public Health reported an additional 140 confirmed cases and 55 probable cases, along with 18 more deaths.

Full breakdown of Tuesday’s COVID-19 data (Mass.gov) »

For more information on COVID-19 in Massachusetts, visit Mass.gov, call 211 or text COVIDMA or COVIDMAESP (Spanish) to 888-777 to receive text notifications.