Oakland County Apartment Complex To Get Free Coronavirus Testing

OAKLAND COUNTY, MI — Residents in Pontiac's Carriage Circle Apartments will have have the opportunity for free coronavirus testing June 2.

Oakland County, McLaren Oakland and the housing commission will be offering a host of services to Carriage Circle residents at the Pontiac apartment complex near Auburn Avenue and South Opdyke. Services include free testing for the coronavirus, health screenings, food security assessments and evaluations to determine if there are other needs. County staff will be onsite help residents fill out the U.S. Census 2020 questionnaire as well.

“This COVID initiative builds on our Oakland Health360 initiative that will transform health services provided in our public health clinics,” Oakland County Executive David Coulter said in a news release. “COVID-19 highlights the racial disparities in our health care that were already unacceptable before the pandemic. It is important to take these critical health services where they are needed and I’m grateful to our partners for their willingness to help.”

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As of Tuesday morning, Michigan reported over 55,000 cases of the coronavirus, putting the state in the Top 10 across the country in total cases.

On Tuesday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer touched on the importance of coronavirus testing in signing an executive order to expand the types of medical personnel that can order coronavirus testing, and creating a new category of community testing sites that offer testing to anyone with reason to be tested without an advance order.

Related: Michigan Reports 223 New Coronavirus Cases, Expands Testing

At the June 2 testing, McLaren will provide the nurses and other staff to do assessments of each person. The county’s Health Division will supply the testing kits. An appointment is required for a test. No appointment will be taken onsite.

“To protect those populations who are most at-risk for the coronavirus, and to help stop the virus’s spread, testing is essential,” said Margaret Dimond, Ph.D., McLaren Oakland president and chief executive officer. “We’re thankful to be in the position to help this population and continue to promote and support the health and well being of our Pontiac community.”

Oakland County Commissioner Angela Powell, who represents Pontiac, worked closely with the county to help set up a place-based health clinic at the apartment complex, officials said in a news release.

“The numbers, according to the Oakland County Health Division, show that African Americans comprise more than 30 percent of confirmed COVID-19 cases and 36 percent of the deaths but only 14 percent of the population,” Powell said. “It is critical we bring testing to Pontiac residents where they live and who, for whatever reason, may have had limited access to testing. I applaud the county, McLaren Oakland and the Pontiac Housing Commission for stepping up and addressing this critical need.”

Carriage Circle also is being considered to receive a $39 million federally backed allocation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under the HOME Investments Partnership Program to renovate the complex’s 200-plus housing units. The county has allocated $1.5 million to the project and the city of Pontiac has committed $500,000 to support the funding, should it be awarded, officials said.

The renovations would begin in 2021, Deputy County Executive Rudy Hobbs said.

Ahmad Taylor, executive director of the Pontiac Housing Commission, said the testing and planned renovations were great news for complex residents.

“This is a reinvention of the area,” Taylor said. “The residents want to see it happen. It’s all about action.”