Pop-up COVID-19 testing sites are cutting down wait times from hours to minutes

A new program is bringing about more pop-up testing sites to New York City.

News 12 Staff

Nov 28, 2020, 2:45 AM

Updated 1,470 days ago

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CityMDs and urgent cares throughout New York City are flooded with people who are waiting for hours to get COVID-19 tests.
But a new program is bringing about more pop-up testing sites. The program began Friday and lasts through the weekend. The extra testing sites are expected to speed up some of the testing processes.
The testing takes less than five minutes once the patient has arrived. All they need to do is fill out a form with personal information and answer a few questions. Then they take the test.
The test is quick, easy and free.
The testing site at the corner of East Tremont and Randall avenues in the Bronx is cutting wait times in half. Down the street on East Tremont Avenue, people have been waiting for hours to get into the CityMD facility to get testing.
One person tells News 12 that they were waiting for two hours on an Urgent Care testing line down the street. Someone told them about the pop-up site in passing and when they went to the pop-up site, they had their test done in five minutes.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a new record-high for COVID-19 testing. There were 219,442 rest results reported on Thursday. The Bronx and Brooklyn saw a positive 7-day average of 3.64% and 2.42% on Friday. Both were decreases from the day before.
Free COVID-19 testing at the pop-up sites will be open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. this weekend. Another location will be open in Hunts Point.