SPRING VALLEY

Coronavirus: Spring Valley gets clinic at MLK Center as village has most cases and deaths

Steve Lieberman
Rockland/Westchester Journal News

SPRING VALLEY — Burdened with Rockland County's highest number of confirmed coronavirus related deaths, the village area will at last get a state-run testing clinic in hopes of identifying people with the highly contagious disease before it's too late.

The walk-in clinic is scheduled to open Monday morning at the Martin Luther King Multipurpose Center on Bethune Boulevard.

Testing will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until June 12, advocates said in a news release Thursday. Testing for both COVID-19 and for antibodies will be done and people can get tested regardless of insurance or immigration status.

Residents unload shopping carts full of food that were given out at the food pantry program at the Martin Luther King Multipurpose Center in Spring Valley May 12, 2020.

To schedule a test, people should call 1-833-422-7369.

CORONAVIRUS TEST SITES: Advocates seek clinics in Spring Valley, Haverstraw where death toll is highest

CORONAVIRUS: Walk-up testing site slated to open in hard-hit Haverstraw Village

The Spring Valley area's Zip Code, 10977, has recorded the county's highest number of confirmed positive coronavirus cases — 2,856 as of May 27. Even more troubling, advocates contend, the area has suffered the most deaths at 125, about 20 percent of all COVID-19 related deaths across Rockland.

The Zip Code includes the village, Hillcrest, parts of Monsey and the villages of Chestnut Ridge and Airmont. Advocates have focused on the people living in the village.

More testing for non-white communities

Advocates have cited Gov. Andrew Cuomo's call for more testing in general and specifically for the non-white communities. The clinic would join the facility in Haverstraw village, which also has a high number of confirmed cases and a predominately non-white population. 

“We know that communities of color have been particularly hard hit by this virus, and we need to take extra steps to be sure we are addressing that reality,” Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee, D-Suffern, said. “This is an important way that we can fight back against this terrible predator. It is my hope that this site will allow more people to get tested."

The Haverstraw village free clinic to residents opened in early May. The state is paying the costs.

A Spring Valley testing site has been pushed by Jaffee, NAACP leaders, Legislator Toney Earl, D-Hillcrest, and county and Spring Valley village officials.

NAACP President Willie Trotman said one holdup has been getting the financially strapped state to pay for the lab results and medical supplies. The site also needed a medical partner, like Haverstraw received.

Trotman said many village residents, including day workers and low-income families, can't afford the fees. Some private facilities have charged more than $250. Also, he said many residents lack transportation to the state site off Anthony Wayne along the Palisades Interstate Parkway.

"People can't afford the costs," Trotman said, noting the King Center is besieged by people when providing food. "People are dying."

Spring Valley NAACP President Willie Trotman speaks during the announcement of Martin Luther King Jr. Multi-Purpose Center purchased two lots across the street for plans new park for 'The Hill' neighborhood on Feb. 7, 2020.

Frustrated by the state's response, advocates created a team that conducted a pilot testing program earlier.

Spring Valley's site will be run by Northwell Health in partnership with the King Center and New York State.

“The MLK Center is a trusted and safe space with a proven track record of providing culturally informed and respectful services to the residents of Spring Valley,” Earl said. “The motto of the Center is ‘Building A Beloved Community.’ I thank Governor Cuomo for helping us build and care for our beloved community by making sure we are all tested.”

Founded in 1964 as a reading room, the MLK Center has been a community-based organization, providing childcare, after-school programs, and other programs. Throughout this pandemic, the center has served as a lifeline, hosting blood drives and food distributions, and making the location ideal for a COVID-19 testing site, advocates said.

Executive Director Nathan Mungin III of Martin Luther King Jr. Multi-Purpose Center announced the center has purchased two lots across the street for plans new park for 'The Hill' neighborhood on Feb. 7, 2020.

“What better way to fulfill our mission than to help save lives in pursuit of achieving Dr. King’s vision of a ‘Beloved Community,’” center executive director Nathan Mungin said. “We try to serve as a second home for so many, and this is one more vital way for us to continue our community outreach.”

Trotman said the impacts of COVID-19 make the testing site necessary because the virus continues to disproportionately impact communities of color.

“This site will help better serve the specific public health needs of our overall community,” Trotman said. “I also thank Gov. Cuomo for helping this happen because this virus could very easily increase to unmanageable levels if we don’t act. If we can test people and isolate the sick, we can try to keep the spread down, as well as the illnesses and deaths that have been accompanying this virus.”

Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com. Twitter: @lohudlegal. Read more articles and bio. Our local coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription

Twitter: @lohudlegal