Health officials announced Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside led by Pastor Greg Laurie will become the third site in Riverside County to offer drive-thru testing for COVID-19 as of Wednesday April 1.
The county is already at Lake Elsinore Diamond Stadium, the now-grounded minor league baseball team for the San Diego Padres, and at a county fairground in Indio, and now at the church.
The senior pastor and members honored self-isolating and want to be as helpful as they can during this difficult season. "This opportunity is allowing us to do that. We love you, and we are praying for your safety and health always," the church shared on its official Facebook.
Testing at the three sites is not limited to county residents, and patients must first make appointments and show symptoms of coronavirus or been in contact with someone who has tested positive to qualify, Christian headlines noted.
The church official confirmed on its Facebook page that the threat of exposure was minimal since patients never leave their cars. "Our hope is to reassure you that while we are doing everything we can to aid in combating the effects of COVID-19, the testing will be conducted outside in the patient's vehicles," the post read.
"We want to let you know that the City of Riverside is manning the operation in a safe and secure manner."
In addition to hosting the coronavirus testing, Harvest also made donation campaign for those who need assistance as a result of the novel coronavirus. Members who can help are being asked for the campaign at the main campus in Riverside and another campus in neighboring Orange County.
The coronavirus, which causes the disease called COVID-19, has infected more than 885,000 people worldwide, including over 190,000 in the United States as of Wednesday morning, according to data of Johns Hopkins University.
