Enon Tabernacle Church's Pastor Waller tests positive for Coronavirus during free testing event
PHILADELPHIA - Local churches in the African American community have been holding free testing clinics to test for COVID-19.
On Monday, doctors were at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in East Mount Airy doing free testing for those in need. The event was held in conjunction with the Black Doctors COVID-19 consortium.
Among those tested was the church’s senior pastor, Doctor Alyn E. Waller. Reverend Waller said he was tested to ease the fears of the members of his church but revealed yesterday that he had tested positive for the virus despite not having any symptoms.
He spoke on Good Day Philadelphia about his diagnosis and about how he was feeling once he found out that he did test positive.
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“I found out on Wednesday because it’s about a 48-hour turnaround and I was quite surprised. I wasn’t even intending to take the test because I had not been what I had thought, I had not been exposed nor did I have any symptoms and that’s who the testing was for, ” explained Waller.
Initially, Reverend Waller’s plan was to take the test so that others would know the process and realize that even it was an invasive test that is taken through the nose, it needed to be done. He described the feeling as 'not as bad' but knows now that he had not taken the test, he could have still been walking around with the virus.
“I’ve been doing the social distancing and so forth. It highlights the need for robust testing, not just for people who have symptoms or may have been exposed. We have to have enough capacity to test everybody if we are going to get our hands on this.”
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He had been social distancing with his wife and daughter while leaving the house to preach from the church as well as help conduct funerals for immediate families but says that his wife and daughter have been tested and they are awaiting the results.
As for himself, he is currently quarantining from his family and others but still plans on being involved with the church from the safety of his home as to not infect others.
“The reality is, what we’re planning now, I will still do Sunday morning service from the house. I will do it from the house and we’re going to make a judicious use of Zoom and Facebook Live and all of that. Presuming that I stay asymptomatic, that should not be a problem.”
Reverend Waller also says the church will be thoroughly cleaned and they will work on serving food in their Western location for the time being. But for now, he wants to show people that testing is important and keeping each other safe should be everyone’s biggest priority.
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