Mayor Adams Bolsters NYC’s COVID-19 Preparedness

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today took action to bolster New York City’s COVID-19 preparedness and prepare New Yorkers for any future waves. Mayor Adams, the NYC Test & Trace Corps (Test & Trace), the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), and the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) announced the distribution of an additional 16.5 million at-home COVID-19 tests and 1 million high-quality masks that will take place over the next month to 1,600 New York City public schools and the over 1,000 community organizations, libraries, cultural institutions, houses of worship, and elected offices participating in the city’s At-Home Test Distribution Program. The distribution effort joins other measures to blunt the worst impacts of the current wave, including the distribution of 35,000 COVID-19 courses of treatment to date, which have prevented nearly 2,000 hospitalizations in the city so far.

The city has also distributed 20 million at-home tests to schools and participating community organizations to date — meaning this additional surge of tests will bring the total distributed at-home tests to over 36 million as the city prepares to potentially hit a high-alert level in the coming days — ensuring free at-home testing is widely accessible to New Yorkers across the five boroughs. Additionally, eligible New Yorkers are encouraged to take advantage of free, at-home delivery of COVID-19 treatments.

Source: The Office of the Mayor