This weekend will be the last for some COVID-19 testing sites in the
city, but a more
practical testing option is taking their place.
The start of COVID-19 site closures is today, and at-home test kits and
treatments will be taking their place.
After Sunday, there will be
a total of seven testing sites in New York City closing. Gov. Kathy Hochul
stated Friday that “New Yorkers have worked hard to keep each other safe from COVID-19,
but with new variants spreading throughout the state, we must maintain remain
vigilant in using the tools."
Those tools being at-home test kits and treatments being accessible to
all New Yorkers to get tested and treated quickly. Each closed testing site
will have various at-home test distribution sites within a mile of the closed
site.
New Yorkers that test
positive using an at-home test will need to call 212-COVID-19 and will
immediately have access to Paxlovid and other medications needed to treat COVID-19
that can be delivered the same day.
This will provide quick access to treatment that is not possible through
a PCR test that needs to run in a lab.