Photo Courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
“We’ve not only decreased the amount of cases by more than 80 percent since early January, but hit a new milestone with 75 percent of all New Yorkers fully vaccinated — way ahead of the national average,” Mayor Adams said.
By Forum Staff
Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday announced multiple new milestones in the fight against COVID-19, which includes a massive decrease in COVID-19 cases, a landmark milestone met in vaccination rates, and free at-home delivery options of COVID-19 treatments.
Adams was joined by city health officials at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx to make clear that New Yorkers are winning in the fight against COVID-19, and encouraged them to take advantage of available options to reduce transmission rates and help them quickly recover from COVID-19. One treatment for COVID-19 — oral antiviral pills — is now available for free, same-day, at-home delivery through the Health Department’s pharmacy partner, Alto Pharmacy. Both oral antiviral pills and monoclonal antibodies have been proven to be effective at reducing severe outcomes, like hospitalization and death, and are available for those who test positive for COVID-19 and have mild to moderate symptoms.
“Not only is New York City winning in the fight against COVID-19, but we are bringing even more help right to New Yorkers’ front doors to continue beating this pandemic,” said Adams. “We’ve not only decreased the amount of cases by more than 80 percent since early January, but hit a new milestone with 75 percent of all New Yorkers fully vaccinated — way ahead of the national average. We’re also offering high-risk New Yorkers, free, at-home delivery of COVID-19 antiviral pills to prevent serious illness and keep people out of the hospital. I urge all eligible New Yorkers to take advantage of this service, and for every New Yorker to stay up to date with their vaccines and boosters. This is about saving lives and getting our city moving again.”
Treatment is most effective when started soon after symptom onset, so the Health Department recommends that New Yorkers get tested right away if they feel sick. Due to limited supply of both monoclonal antibody treatments and antiviral pills, these treatments are prioritized for those who have tested positive and are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. New Yorkers who test positive should contact their doctor or call (212) COVID19 to be connected to care and to discuss treatment options available to them.
Oral antiviral pills — taken daily for five days — help to stop the virus from reproducing, which reduces the amount of virus in the body and prevents symptoms from getting worse. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized two oral antiviral pills to treat COVID-19: Paxlovid and Molnupiravir.
Monoclonal antibody treatments are a one-time injection or intravenous treatment that offer antibody protection while the body works to produce its own antibodies. Monoclonal antibody treatments, such as Sotrovimab, are effective against the Omicron variant and are for patients who have mild to moderate symptoms for 10 days or less but are at high-risk for severe illness.
“These treatments — combined with high-quality masks, vaccination, testing, and our other public health precautions — help us to defang the virus and keep New Yorkers safe and healthy,” said City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dave Chokshi, M.D.
