Council President Parker will hold press conference to discuss drive-thru COVID-19 testing at Legion Field

Council President William Parker will be holding a press conference with local faith leaders at Legion Field at 2 p.m. today to discuss efforts to open a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site at the facility.

The plan for drive-thru testing was approved by the Birmingham Parks and Recreation Board this week. President Parker is now calling on county, state and federal agencies to help provide testing kits and medical personnel.

Alabama saw an increase of 144 cases on Wednesday, marking the second largest percentage increase of any state. As of Thursday morning there are 449 cases across the state.

Health experts have said that having adequate access to tests is vital to preventing the spread of COVID-19. Legion Field is situated on 100 acres and has ample room for cars to maneuver for drive-thru testing.

“The best tool we have to protect the citizens of Birmingham is to make sure people can be tested for this virus,” Parker said. “We have to know what we are up against, and testing provides us with that picture. Legion Field is able to accommodate thousands of cars and people. Now we are calling on our government partners — FEMA, the Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC — in order to provide tests that can be administered at the site.”

The press conference will be live streamed on the Birmingham City Council’s Facebook page.