Record Turnout At Enon Baptist Church Testing Site
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- There were swerving lines wrapped around Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church off Cheltenham Avenue in Philadelphia where people could get tested for COVID-19.
The site opened at 10 a.m. Monday but many got out there hours earlier. Many were desperate for the answer if in fact they have the coronavirus.
"I was here since 8 o'clock this morning. It was worth every hour," Enon parishioner Sheila Mathis said.
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Mathis was one of 350 people who made the cut at Enon's testing site which hit capacity well before noon. She didn't have symptoms but simply wanted to play it safe.
"I live with a senior citizen. It was important for me to know what it is. If I don't have, it great. If I do have it, let me work on it," Mathis said.
The site was hosted by Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium.
Enon's Pastor, Rev Alyn Waller, was also tested.
"For the purpose of taking stigma out of it, I can speak personally the level of comfort, discomfort of the rest so I'm just one of the people," Waller said.
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And other black churches are also following suit. The African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas just got confirmation it will be a testing site soon.
The biggest challenge for churches is getting hold of enough tests.
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