MONTREAL -- A new mobile COVID-19 testing clinic has opened in Villeray-St-Michel-Parc-Extension.

The borough is among the Montreal areas with the most cases of the virus, with 1,139 confirmed cases, or almost 800 cases per 100,000 people as of Sunday.

The two clinic, which will operate at two different sites, is being sent to areas that have been hardest hit.

“We want to come in the cartier, to really be in the neighbourhood to be close to the people so we can reach and understand more what's going on here in St-Michel,” said regional health authority director of health services Julie Provencher.

On Sunday, a clinic at Joseph-Francois-Perreault High school was open from noon to 8 p.m. and will be open again on Monday. On Tuesday and Wednesday, a site will be set up at the Rene-Goupil Leisure Centre.

The borough has distributed informational leaflets in 10 languages to each household and on Sunday, Viau MNA Frantz Benjamin and a team of volunteers went door-to-door to inform the residents about the testing sites.

“We're asking people, please, please, please if you do have one of the symptoms and are living in the area of St-Michel, come stop by for a test,” said Benjamin. “It's important for you and important for the people you love.”

No appointment is needed for a test and health officials said the goal is to test at least 150 residents per day.

Borough Mayor Giuliana Fumagalli said the St-Michel population is particularly at risk.

“We have a lot of front-line workers and people that work in health services, lots of women,” she said. “This is what we've been noticing and we also have a lot of elderly people.”

Resident Mohamed Salimi was among the first to be tested.

“To help people keep safe and keep them at home, I think it's a good idea,” he said.