Brookside Health Center COVID-19 Testing Site Ends; Limited Capacity Testing Likely

Daily free testing for COVID-19 at the Brookside Community Center ended July 10, but testing is likely to eventually resume there again. Brookside's testing site at 3297 Washington St., was open for eight weeks in collaboration with the Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center on Centre Street, and ended on July 10. Brookside provided a statement to Jamaica Plain News about the testing site ending:
"In balancing the importance of COVID-19 testing for our community with the need to serve our patients at each of the health centers, we will likely restart our testing site soon, in a more limited capacity, and will communicate those decision once made." Brookside will also post on updates on its Facebook page. While there are no more free Jamaica Plain testing sites, there are numerous other testing sites in Boston.

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Boston Expands COVID-19 Testing; Free to Residents Regardless of Insurance & Immigration Status

Boston is ramping up its daily diagnostic testing of residents, to more than double tests in the last two weeks. The city's averaging 1,100 tests conducted per day, up from an average of 680 tests conducted per day the prior week, and the aim is to reach an average of 1,500 diagnostic tests per day of residents, according to a city press release. Testing efforts are being prioritized in each neighborhood, particularly of populations most vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19. "Testing helps people get the care they need and avoid passing the virus on to others," said Mayor Marty Walsh. "Increasing our testing efforts allows our public health experts to better track the outbreak and it will continue to be essential in our progress toward recovery.

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Video: 3-Year-Old Gives Amazing Tour Highlighting Jamaica Plain!

A young boy (and his mother) made an incredible one-minute video highlighting all of his favorite things about Jamaica Plain -- the restaurants, train stations, barber shop, libraries, bicycles, karate classes -- and more! Holding a toy train to start, Santiago Arroyo begins in front of the Egleston Square mural across from the T and makes his way to the Egleston Community Garden, and then moves on to restaurants by highlighting the original Chilacates, JP Licks (what kid doesn't like ice cream?), Pikalo, and Exodus Bagels. He shouts out all the bicycles to ride, neighborhood libraries and playgrounds, mentions he takes karate classes with his mother and grandmother(!), and talks up the firefighters of Engine 28. Then he really gets into the action -- by getting a trim at Flaco's Barber Shop, and a teeth cleaning at the Brookside Community Health Center. He ends by showcasing JP's T stops.

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