Photo Courtesy of Google
In Queens, mobile City units will be partnered and deployed at Rex Pharmacy in South Ozone Park.
By Forum Staff
Mayor Eric Adams, NYC Test & Trace Corps, NYC Health + Hospitals, and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) were joined by White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha on Thursday to announce the launch of the country’s first-ever mobile-based “Test to Treat” program. Starting Thursday, June 30, participating mobile testing units managed by NYC Test & Trace Corps will now include a clinician on their team to provide instant access to prescriptions for no-cost, antiviral medications for eligible New Yorkers who test positive at these sites. The initial Test to Treat units are partnering with local pharmacies to provide immediate distribution of medication from the prescription. As the launch continues, the program will expand to over 30 units over the month of July. This program will also shift to be able to distribute antiviral medications in the units this summer, ensuring New Yorkers have even more immediate access to life-saving treatments.
The Test to Treat mobile program is starting with three mobile testing units, paired with local pharmacies, and will expand to more than 30 units through the month of July. In the initial phase, New Yorkers who test positive for COVID-19 will receive a prescription from a clinician at the mobile site and be able to pick up the medication at the co-located pharmacy or through the city’s free home delivery program. Units will be partnered and deployed at the following locations:
- Rex Pharmacy
119-01 Rockaway Blvd.
South Ozone Park, NY 114120
- Inwood Pharmacy
4915 Broadway
New York, NY 10034
- Burke Avenue Pharmacy
759 Burke Ave.
Bronx, NY 10467
As the program expands, New Yorkers who test positive at a participating mobile testing unit will be offered the chance to engage with an onsite clinician and, if eligible, walk away with a free course of Paxlovid anti-viral medication. The program builds upon the NYC Test & Trace Corps’ nation-leading mobile testing and vaccination efforts, which have provided New Yorkers 1.9 million tests and 285,000 vaccinations to date.
“New York City may have been at the epicenter of the pandemic at the start, but now we are leading the way in prevention and mitigation,” Adams said.
Test & Trace will continue to work hand in hand with community partners to ensure deployments are reaching New Yorkers in neighborhoods most impacted by COVID-19 and to coordinate closely with DOHMH to make data-informed decisions.
“Health services, including for COVID-19, should be omnipresent and capable of meeting people where they are,” said DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “We’ve learned during the pandemic how important it is to bring care to people, in an equitable way, prioritizing vulnerable groups and neighborhoods that have been hardest hit by COVID-19. In addition to home delivery of medications, we should be ready to hand off lifesaving medications to those who may not feel comfortable or confident using tele-visit services and deliver end-to-end services at a single point-of care. The new mobile Test to Treat model continues the city’s track record of innovation in our pandemic response.”
