PEABODY — The city’s efforts to augment free testing for COVID-19 were underscored over the weekend by Mayor Ted Bettencourt’s announcement that he has tested positive for the virus.
Peabody is partnering with Atlantic Ambulance to open a free pop-up test site for residents during the last two Tuesdays of December.
Health Department Director Sharon Cameron said the need for a test site in the community has been especially high in recent weeks as the city surpasses 2,500 total cases.
“We know there are a lot of people who don’t have symptoms and might be infected with the virus out in the community, inadvertently exposing people and not even being aware of it,” Cameron said. “We think it’s really important that people do get tested so that if they need to, they can put themselves into isolation and help us limit the spread of the virus.”
Saturday also brought Bettencourt’s news. The mayor, in a Facebook post, said that he had contracted the virus from a household transmission, “which our public health data shows is currently the most common source of transmission,” he wrote in the post.
“Fortunately, I have experienced mild symptoms and I’m feeling better today,” Bettencourt wrote. “However, receiving such news really puts things in perspective.
“Although so many aspects of our lives have been upended this year, the holiday season reminds us that the love of family and friends truly means everything,” he said.
Cameron said previous pop-up test sites in the community have been well-attended, with one last Tuesday attracting more than 550 people, and another on Dec. 9 attracting more than 750.
However, Peabody officials worry that undetected cases of COVID-19 still remain.
According to local data, the city has found that anywhere between 25 to 30 percent of COVID-19 cases within the city have no symptoms, increasing the likelihood of the virus spreading through unaware hosts.
“What we’re finding is that people are really relying on the presence of fever as being an indicator to them that they should stay home,” she said. “But of the cases we have in Peabody that are symptomatic, only 15 percent of those cases have a fever,” Cameron said. “It’s a pretty small percentage of cases overall with (people who have) fevers, so it’s really important that people pay attention to the full range of symptoms and that they also be aware of the potential that they may have no symptoms at all but can still be spreading the virus.”
The drive-through site will be open Tuesday, Dec. 22, and Dec. 29 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Higgins Middle School, 85 Perkins St. Residents ages five and older are eligible to receive testing and must bring proof of residency to the test site. Insurance information is not required.
Pre-registration is also not required but is available at www.cataldoambulance.com.
For more information about Peabody’s pop-up test site, residents can contact the Peabody Health Department at (978) 538-5926.
“Our Covid-19 numbers are still rising rapidly,” Bettencourt wrote. “Please continue to take all the important precautions to fight back against this virus.”
Free testing for all Massachusetts residents is available at state-run Stop the Spread sites in Salem and Lynn. More information is available at mass.gov/info-details/stop-the-spread.
