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The testing, which is free and voluntary, was initiated Monday at a hotel airport that doubles as emergency homeless housing. The city’s goal is to make tests available to the approximately 2,200 homeless people living in Newark.
Newark also started testing at all senior buildings in partnership with the Newark Housing Authority.
The city worked alongside hotel officials in April to provide short-term housing for homeless residents through Mayor Ras J. Baraka’s $2 million plan, “residents without addresses.”
Now, officials have found temporary shelter for upwards of 1,800 people throughout 21 locations, which will help slow the virus’ spread because of the less unpredictable movements.
“This was a critical part of our strategy — to get these people off the street and inside for their own safety and the safety of others,” said Baraka in a statement.
“We were able to entice many of them to come indoors, and today we start testing those who have so far been asymptomatic, to gather more data about how this disease has spread.”
City officials say this is the first citywide homeless testing initiative in the state, and potentially, the country.
The city's health officials are also using a new and less-invasive COVID-19 test method that returns results in just 24 to 48 hours, and every staff member at each shelter will also be tested.
Residents and staff members who test positive will be required to quarantine for two weeks in a separate space designated for COVID-19 patients and can return once they’ve been medically cleared.
“I think we have collectively been successful in helping these residents without addresses to understand the gravity of the COVID-19 crisis and are getting them to safety, which is not always an easy thing to do,” said Dr. Mark Wade, director of Newark’s Department of Health and Community Wellness.
“This has been a novel, life-saving approach and I don’t know of another major city in the country that has done this.”
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