The United States(U.S.) has experienced higher mortality than any other nation due to
COVID-19 with nearly 13.5 million cases and over 268,103 deaths. Due to the limited
ability to socially distance, poor ventilation, and limited hygiene supplies, U.S.
prisons and jails have observed explosive transmission of SARS-CoV-2 accounting for the
10 largest U.S. outbreaks. Because 95% of criminal justice-involved individuals reenter
societyCOVID-19 transmission extends beyond those who are currently incarcerated. As
justice-involved individuals reenter the community, they face high rates of homelessness,
and many others live in other congregate settings such as converted hotels and halfway
houses. The increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 while incarcerated coupled with the likelihood
of living in congregate settings after incarceration, create conditions ripe for rapid
COVID-19 transmission that will be critical to address in order to gain control of
COVID-19 in the U.S. The goal of this study is to test the impact and cost-effectiveness
of an intervention to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 transmission among justice-involved individuals
recently released from incarceration. The investigators will conduct a randomized trial
to compare the effectiveness of an onsite Point-of-Care SARS-CoV-2 testing and education
intervention with community health workers (CHWs) as a central component compared to the
standard of care at a community-based organization (CBO) that provides services to
justice-involved individuals in New York City. The investigators will measure costs of
testing, education, and navigation, and explore the cost-effectiveness of the onsite
Point-of-Care intervention compared to the standard of care. The specific aims are to:1)
Test the effectiveness of an onsite PoC SARS-CoV-2 intervention in a corrections-focused
CBO; 2) Model the cost-effectiveness of an onsite PoC SARS-CoV-2 intervention among CJIs
compared to SoC. Because testing, education, and navigation will be provided by CHWs in a
culturally-sensitive environment and test results will be received in minutes (rather
than days), the investigators hypothesize that O-PoC will be associated with improved
testing uptake and receipt of test results, mitigation behaviors (mask wearing, hand
hygiene, social distancing), and those who attend more O-PoC sessions will have better
adherence to mitigation behaviors.