NEW YORK  (TIP): As the City continues to expand testing capacity to ensure all New Yorkers get tested for COVID-19 often, the NYC Test & Trace Corps  announced, November 12,  a partnership with Etta Salon in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, to host a one-day mobile testing site for the local community. The outdoor testing site will offer nasal self-swab tests at no cost to New Yorkers from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with salon gift certificates available to the first 25 people to get tested. “We need to be fast and flexible as we work to fight back the second wave of COVID-19, and mobile self-test sites allow us to deploy quickly and make an impact across our neighborhoods in a short amount of time,” said NYC Test & Trace Corps Executive Director Dr. Ted Long. “We thank Etta Salon for stepping up to host a mobile self-test site, and engaging their Bedford-Stuyvesant community in this crucial effort with us.”

“While the large-scale testing sites we’ve been operating since May have proven successful, this new self-swab testing approach allows us to utilize our presence in communities, build new partnerships and bring testing closer to home in the neighborhoods that need it most,” said NYC Test & Trace Corps Chief Operating Officer Chris Keeley. “We know that accessible and accurate testing is essential to the long-term health of New York City.”

Trained staff from the Test & Trace Corps will help members of the community ages 4 and up self-administer the simple nasal swab test, with results returned by e-mail within 48 hours. Anyone who tests positive will be contacted by phone to receive the full range of free services they need to monitor their health and that of their loved ones, including resources to safely separate. Participation is confidential, and open to all regardless of immigration status. As an incentive to garner community participation, Etta Salon will provide gift certificates for the first 25 individuals who come and get tested to receive a free haircut at a later date.

“I felt the need to give back to my community, and what better way than by helping to bring testing to our own backyard. Everyone deserves access to easy, safe, and at no cost to them testing, close to home,” said Rachel Grunau, Owner of Etta Salon. The Test & Trace Corps is the City’s comprehensive effort to test, trace, and provide support for every case of COVID-19. Through a partnership with NYC Health + Hospitals and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Corps allows the City to immediately isolate and care for those who test positive for the virus and then rapidly track, assess, and quarantine anyone they may have infected.

To help all New Yorkers safely separate at home and monitor their health status, the Take Care pillar of the Test & Trace Corps also offers free hotel rooms with wraparound services for New Yorkers who are unable to safely separate in their own homes. For those safely separating at home, contact tracers perform daily calls and conduct in-person visits as necessary. These calls allow tracers to gauge the progress of cases, ensure proper compliance with separation protocol, and connect people to more supportive services as necessary. Today, 98% of all COVID-19 cases and 96% of contacts reported following isolation and quarantine requirements.

About NYC Health + Hospitals

NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlus health plan—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 42,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NYCHealthSystem or Twitter at @NYCHealthSystem.

About Etta Salon

Etta Salon, a Davines Concept Hair Salon, established in 2015 is a full service salon located in the heart of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Etta Salon offers a wide-range of services such as Bridal Hair, Hotheads Hair Extensions, and Brazilian Bond Builder treatments all using ecofriendly and cruelty free products. For more information, visit www.ettasalon.com and stay connected on Instagram at @ettasalon.