Rep. Shevrin Jones Requests Governor DeSantis to Consider Increasing COVID-19 Testing in Black Communities

Tallahassee– Today, Representative Shevrin “Shev” Jones (D–West Park) asked Governor DeSantis to consider adding more COVID-19 testing sites in predominantly black communities. Structural inequalities are demonstrating the contrast in how different communities are responding to the crisis.

While some people are fortunate to stay home, many people in the black community work in essential jobs and may find it difficult to stay home, not work, and not receive a paycheck. This puts them at greater risk of exposure and can lead to more fatal outcomes.

Additionally, black people use public transportation on a daily, almost daily, or weekly basis at the greatest rate. These people have greater risk of contracting the virus because they use transportation among other potential carriers of the virus.

Many of them have limited or no access to a car and cannot participate in drive-thru testing sites when they become ill. Thus, people who are most vulnerable to exposure have the least access to accessible testing.

“We need solutions in the black community that go beyond our status quo expectations,” Rep. Jones said. “We can’t expect that what works in one community will work in all, and we need testing sites that are mobile and meet people where they are. This pandemic is shining a greater light on the fact that healthcare has been unaffordable and inaccessible for too many Americans for decades.”