Opa-locka Debuts #MaskUpOpalocka Campaign to Create Awareness of Coronavirus’ Impact in Community

Hy-Lo News Staff Report

In light of the alarming reports of the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 throughout the City of Opa-locka, the #MaskUpOpalocka initiative has been created to urge residents to get tested for COVID-19 and continue practicing safety measures to prevent spreading the virus.

“Our goal with this initiative is to slow the spread of COVID-19 by encouraging mask-wearing and testing. It is crucial that all City of Opa-locka residents and people who work in the City visit The Community Based Testing Site so we can get a more accurate idea of the spread of COVID-19 in our community,” said City of Opa-locka Mayor Matthew Pigatt. “It is also crucial for everyone in the community to have access to testing, to better protect themselves and their families. We want to ensure that anyone living in Opa-locka has access to testing, particularly those with COVID-19 symptoms, as well as those who work in a setting where they may have frequent exposure.”

In conjunction with the #MaskUpOpalocka initiative, on Saturday, June 27, 2020, City of Opa-locka Mayor Matthew Pigatt and the City Commission hosted a Virtual Town Hall. The panel discussed the City of Opa-locka’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 safety, City of Opa-locka curfews, emergency flooding, and more. The Virtual Town Hall was broadcasted live on the City of Opa-locka’s Facebook Live and YouTube Live pages.

The event will included the following: Mayor Matthew A. Pigatt, Commissioner Sherelean Bass, Commissioner Alvin Burke, Commission Joseph Kelley and City Manager John E. Pate.

Last month, the City of Opa-locka, the State of Florida, and Miami-Dade County opened a new walk-up testing site to provide COVID-19 coronavirus testing to symptomatic and asymptomatic members of the public 12 years old and older. The Community Based Testing Site (CBTS) is located at Sherbondy Park, 380 Bahman Avenue, Opa-locka. The CBTS is open daily, seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The CBTS has the ability to conduct 200 tests per day.