ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The city of Rochester is showing up for the folks who live at Charlotte Harbortown Homes on Lake Avenue, literally.

“We’re just very excited and thankful that this is happening for our residents,” said the facility’s assistant property manager, Nicole Schuth.

What You Need To Know

  • Hundreds of Charlotte Harbortown Homes residents will be offered a rapid COVID-19 test right on site on Sunday

  • On Sunday, the team will spend six hours on-site, in a plan to make sure the residents of all 16 floors are able to be tested

  • As of Friday, 25 residents tested positive

She has been desperately trying to help keep the 500-plus residents there safe from COVID-19.

As of Friday, 25 of them tested positive. When word reached the city of Rochester, the answer to the call came within hours. Schuth says City of Rochester Chief Equity Officer Dr. Cephas Archie was key to mobilizing organizations and resources. 

“Dr. Archie sent over, over 500 masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer for all of our residents here,” said Schuth.

But the PPE is just a start. Hundreds of residents will be offered a rapid COVID-19 test right on site on Sunday, all in response to Schuth’s efforts in reaching out to the city and to Spectrum News.

“The county, with all the work it’s doing, it’s not really in a position to reach into the facility of the apartment house to do the testing. Dr. Archie called and said could Jordan Health and the Black Physicians Network Collaborate, as we have in the past to go do community testing in an apartment building, which is a first for us. It is the first time we’re actually going into an apartment building, particularly one of this size, to go to testing,” said Jordan Health Center chief operating officer, Jason Dunn.

Folks who live at the low-income housing complex are 55 years old or older or have a disability, an example of a population of people that city leaders don’t want to see fall through the cracks.

“We’re really seeing a disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the Black and brown communities,” said Common Ground Health’s Dr. Linda Clark. The organizations and others are collaborating in the rapid-response effort.

On Sunday, the team will spend six hours on-site, in a carefully orchestrated plan to make sure the residents of all 16 floors are able to be tested.

And there will be an effort to educate those here about prevention.

“We do have our flyers and we hang them and there’s signage all over the building, but some of our residents can’t read, some may not comprehend what is happening right now. So any sort of education that we could provide for them where they could understand is helpful,” said Schuth.

Could this be a potential test run for other similar locations?

“Wow, I think very possibly. I think one of the concerns that we at Jordan Health has, as this ramps up, as this surge continues, the stress on our staff is such that an effort like this is such that it’s really extraordinary for them,” said Dunn.

“We’re excited. I think we’re setting a precedent for other high rises to follow hopefully, for other high rises that have the population that we have as well,” said Schuth.

But the feasibility of that scenario is up in the air.

“We can’t do this every day. So that’s why prevention is really key. Every time somebody calls, we’re not going to be able to mount such a huge response. But everybody can wear a mask and everybody can wash their hands,” said Dr. Clark.

“I think there will always be an effort to response and to response as quickly as possible, the resources may change, there may be a need to elicit the support of others who are not currently involved. We can’t say today, yes, it will absolutely happen the same way it’s happening today,” said Dunn.

But what is happening today is deemed an impressive and swift rapid response to a call from a woman trying to protect residents and her community as a whole.

“So hopefully this starts the ball rolling in a good direction,” said Schuth.​