Dallas to offer mobile coronavirus testing in hot spots where many people lack access to cars

Dallas will begin offering coronavirus tests Friday to residents who lack transportation and live in five ZIP codes — in southeast and southern Dallas — that have been hot spots for COVID-19.

The City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved mobile testing using $660,000 in coronavirus relief funds the city received from the Treasury Department.

The one-year emergency agreement will allow for up to 60 tests a day for residents who aren’t able to travel to get tested, said Assistant City Manager Jon Fortune.

Largely based on recommendations from health officials, the city is initially targeting these ZIP codes: 75211, 75215, 75216, 75217, and 75227.

An estimated 47,500 households, or 9.4% of the total, don’t have access to a vehicle, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s much higher than the state average of 5.4%.

In pockets of southern Dallas, that number spikes, especially in east Oak Cliff and South Dallas. In the South Dallas ZIP code, one-quarter of households lack access to a vehicle, according to the most recent American Community Survey estimate.

As of Wednesday, Dallas County reported that those five ZIP codes had 1,031 known coronavirus infections, which is more than 15% of the county total.

Residents will qualify for a test if they have had recent direct contact with a person diagnosed with the virus or if they have at least one symptom of COVID-19 — a temperature of 99.6 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, a cough or shortness of breath.

The federal government on Wednesday extended its support for two Dallas community testing sites until the end of June. While the sites provide up to 1,000 tests a day, city officials said they want that number to be at least 4,000, based on a recommendation from health experts.

Council member Adam Bazaldua — who represents South Dallas and part of Pleasant Grove, two of the neighborhoods that will benefit from the mobile testing — said he believed it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide widespread testing.

But he said he was glad the city was being proactive, and wants to make sure leaders address disparities in African American and Hispanic communities.

“We definitely do need more testing," Bazaldua said. ”We also need to make sure that the testing availability that we offer is going to touch on and address a lot of the racial disparities that we have seen … across the country."

Council member Cara Mendelsohn, who represents Far North Dallas, said she would support the additional testing but didn’t think the city should be taking the responsibility.

“At the end of the day, the city’s going to step up like we always do to take care of our people,” Mendelsohn said.

Mayor Eric Johnson said the city was not trying to “take the lead” on testing but wanted to help meet the need. He said that 44% of Dallas County’s confirmed cases are outside of the city and that the county would have its hands full.

“We can’t be indifferent to what’s happening in our own borders,” Johnson said. “We’re trying to be responsible to our constituents and use the resources that we have to help fill in gaps and to address equity issues.”

The city has received $234 million from the Treasury Department to help cover expenses related to the coronavirus.

Council members on Wednesday also approved using $885,000 of that money for hands-free, self-service stations with hospital-grade infrared thermometers that employees in various city facilities can use to check their body temperatures before work. Those with normal temperatures will be issued a sticker that shows they were cleared. Kiosks may also be used to check the public.

Rocky Vaz, the city’s director of emergency management, told council members that officials would like to continue to expand access to testing. He said the city would monitor use of the tests daily and could serve more ZIP codes based on need.

Council member Jennifer Staubach Gates, who represents northwest Dallas, said the testing must be coupled with contact tracing to learn how and where the virus is spreading.

“It gives us a better understanding of where this virus is moving through our community,” Gates said. “We’ve got to do everything in our power to be able to really better understand the prevalence and take care of our residents."