Expansion comes as City surpasses 100,000 tests per day for three days in a row
NEW YORK (TIP): As the City continues to fight the winter surge of COVID-19 cases, the NYC Test & Trace Corps announced on January 14, the expansion of its partnership with Rapid Reliable Testing (RRT), a subsidiary of Ambulnz, to bring rapid antigen testing to its entire mobile testing fleet in order to reach more communities in need of convenient and safe testing at no cost. This new testing capacity is being added as demand for testing grows, where the City reached a new milestone of more than 100,000 tests per day for three days in a row from January 4-6.
“The increase in COVID-19 cases makes it more important than ever that all New Yorkers continue to get tested often, and the record-breaking testing numbers of recent days show that communities are hearing our call,” said NYC Test & Trace Corps Executive Director Dr. Ted Long. “Our growing fleet of mobile rapid testing units expands our ability to provide flexible and convenient testing at no cost where the need is greatest.”
Since the launch of mobile rapid testing in partnership with RRT last month, the number of units providing the service has grown from two to 20, with rapid testing expected to be available in 30 mobile units by the end of next month. Mobile rapid units provide test results in approximately 15 minutes, and each mobile testing unit can perform up to 300 tests per day.
“With increased knowledge, comes increased safety,” said Stan Vashovsky, CEO of Ambulnz. “Enabling our entire Mobile Testing Unit fleet for Rapid Antigen testing provides the people of New York with ~15 minute results, and provides the City with a better understanding of positivity rate trends. This creates transparency that helps keep us all safer, and limit the spread of the virus.”
While adding more testing options, the City also marks a new milestone in testing. More than 100,000 New Yorkers were tested each day for three days in a row on January 4, 5, and 6. The City currently has capacity to administer 120,000 tests per days, offered at more than 300 sites. Mobile rapid testing enhances the current testing capacity of administering 120,000 tests per day, offered at more than 300 sites across the city.
The new rapid mobile units will be deployed citywide on a week-to-week basis according to need, and no appointment is required. To view locations of Ambulnz mobile testing sites, visit www.rrtesting.com/nyc-testing. For a current schedule of all mobile deployments, visit nyc.gov/covidtest, where you can also find other testing sites near you at no cost. Or call the NYC Test & Trace Corps hotline at 212-COVID19.
“During this pandemic, we’ve seen such great demand for rapid testing and rightly so—it is one of the most important tools in our arsenal in the fight against COVID-19 and now we are bringing that capability to our mobile testing units to help reach the communities who need it most,” said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. “I’ve had first-hand experience working with NYC Test & Trace Corps to bring these COVID-19 mobile testing units in Manhattan and I’m glad to hear that they will now be employing rapid testing. I know that New Yorkers are always grateful to be able to access this resource and I look forward to this expansion.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought never before seen challenges to our society. We should all be incredibly proud of the testing infrastructure that our public hospital system, NYC Health + Hospitals, has been able to build up over the past ten months with the NYC Test and Trace Corps,” said Assemblyman in District 81 in the Bronx, Jeffrey Dinowitz. “New Yorkers have some of the broadest and most efficient access to testing anywhere in the nation, and credit for this must go to the incredible efforts of these public health workers and leaders.”
“National Black Leadership Commission on Health applauds NYC in reaching these important milestones and to be a partner on this effort. Expanded access to rapid testing at this critical time will remove barriers to knowing test results on a more timely basis,” said the Commission’s President and CEO C. Virginia Fields.
“Testing is an essential part of our City’s response during this pandemic to help identify and isolate any positive cases of COVID-19,” said Council Member Adrienne Adams. “We have to stay vigilant in order to save lives and I applaud the expansion of mobile rapid testing units to ensure that communities that need it most will have easy access to testing.”
About Test & Trace Corps
The Test & Trace Corps is the City’s comprehensive effort to test, trace, and provide support for every case of COVID-19 and every person exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19. Through a partnership with NYC Health + Hospitals and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Test & Trace 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 who may have been exposed. 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 97% 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 Ambulnz
Ambulnz is a leading provider of mobile medical services and medical transportation in the U.S. and UK. Ambulnz’s TeleHealth+ provides non-emergency medical services to patients in their homes, delivering the full promise and potential of telemedicine. Their experienced medical field staff of more than 1,500 EMTs, paramedics, and licensed practical nurses work under the guidance of MD1 Medical Care PC to fill the gap between a visit to the doctor’s office and a traditional telemedicine call. Ambulnz uses disruptive, AI-powered technology to dispatch and manage their fleet, and is the only medical transportation company that offers ambulance, ambulette, and medical sedan options to accommodate every type of patient need. Their Rapid Reliable Testing division has already tested over 750,000 individuals for COVID-19, helping manage the spread of the pandemic. Ambulnz is the largest private ambulance company responding to COVID-19 in New York City and has transported over 15,000 COVID-19 patients nationally. For more information about Ambulnz, visit www.ambulnz.com or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
(Press Release)