Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine has announced a partnership with Latino Connection, Highmark Blue Shield and the Independence Blue Cross Foundation to create the first-in-the-nation COVID-19 Mobile Response Unit to provide testing and education targeting minority and underserved communities in the commonwealth.

“We share a unified purpose of building healthy communities through access to care and education to create a healthy Pennsylvania for all,” Levine said.

“This partnership will help ensure Pennsylvanians, no matter where they live or what language they speak, will have access to COVID-19 testing. It also furthers the Wolf administration’s commitment to creating pathways to health equity for anyone living in the commonwealth.”

The Community-Accessible Testing and Education unit was at the Allentown YMCA, 425 15th St., Allentown, Sept. 14 and 15.

Specimens were collected and taken to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Laboratories for testing after each event.

Those interested in visiting the mobile unit can find the tour stop schedule at CATEmobileunit.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/CATEmobileunit.

Services are available on a first come, first-served basis. Social distancing and masking guidelines will be followed at all times.

While each tour stop provider’s policies are different, most providers, if not short on testing supplies, will test anyone who believes they’ve been exposed to COVID.

Other providers may only test those who are experiencing symptoms.

Questions about specific CATE stops can be directed to info@catemobileunit.com.

For more information about COVID-19 testing in the Lehigh Valley, visit health.pa.gov.