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Press Releases

NYC Test & Trace Corps Expands Rapid COVID-19 Testing on Mobile Units to Reach Communities Most in Need

Expansion comes as City surpasses 100,000 tests per day for three days in a row

Jan 14, 2021

New York, NY

As the City continues to fight the winter surge of COVID-19 cases, the NYC Test & Trace Corps today announced 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.”