Newsroom

July 8, 2020

Harris County’s Hispanic and Latino residents can feel safe as they seek testing for COVID-19 at county testing sites, Consul General of Mexico in Houston Alicia Kerber-Palma and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Tuesday.

Research demonstrates that COVID-19 is having a disproportionately heavy impact on the Hispanic and Latino population. Data made public this week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that Hispanic and Latino residents are three times as likely to be infected by the virus, and are nearly twice as likely to die from it.

“I want to assure our Hispanic and Latino community that when you arrive at a county testing site to be tested, no one will ask about your immigration status or insurance. Our focus is exclusively on keeping everyone safe and healthy,” Judge Hidalgo said. “Testing is not a treatment, or a cure, but it is a key tool to help us understand the spread of the virus in our community and to help inform community members who feel they may have COVID-19.”

The Consulate General of Mexico in Houston has already facilitated over 2,000 free COVID-19 tests for people of many nationalities and backgrounds in partnership with United Memorial Medical Center (UMMC). The consulates of Angola, Colombia, Costa Rica, Spain and Peru also supported the inclusive testing effort.

“COVID-19 indiscriminately attacks people of every nationality,” Consul General Kerber-Palma said. “Just like they did when coming for testing to the Consulate of Mexico, every resident of Harris County, regardless of their residency status, should remain assured there is no risk in visiting the public testing sites.”

Those interested in being tested at a county testing site may visit www.readyharris.org to make an appointment or call 832-927-7575.