Woman who got COVID-19 urges Hispanic community to get tested: 'This is not a game'
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Mayor Sylvester Turner, along with the Houston Health Department, recently launched a 21-day emergency outreach program to help the most vulnerable community when it comes to COVID-19.
The program is called "Better Together" or "Todos Juntos, Mejor" in Spanish.
READ MORE: New Houston COVID initiative reaches out to Hispanics
"The numbers are really reflecting themselves within the Hispanic community," said the mayor.
Right now, the Hispanic community makes up 42 percent of the Houston cases and four of them were ABC13's Mayra Moreno's relatives, who are thankfully recovering after a terrible battle.
"I knew from the beginning it was COVID-19," said Velia Moreno.
She said the symptoms were unlike anything she had ever felt.
"I was extremely tired and at times times I was unable to breathe," she said.
In her household it was her, her husband and their two children who all had the virus.
Velia hopes the Hispanic community really listens and takes it serious.
"This is not a game. This is the real deal," she said.
That's exactly what the city's campaign, Better Together, is about. It focuses on sending factual information and making sure the community knows they can get free testing without health insurance, and no one will ever ask their immigration status.
"And a part of what we are doing to the PR campaign is to increase and provide additional testing," said the mayor on Wednesday.
On Monday, one of the new testing sites will be in the East End at the HCC Felix Fraga on 301 N Drennan St. near Navigation.
"(This new site) will help alleviate the long lines we are having at HCC Gulfgate," said council member Robert Gallegos.
The Houston Health Department has also made sure to have Spanish-speaking employees readily available to provide information on contact tracing procedures, food distribution and housing assistance. They said the community should not be afraid to ask for help.
