Here's How To Score An At-Home COVID Test In New York City

NEW YORK, NY — As hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers rush to get tested for coronavirus this week, the best option for checking your status before the holidays might be an at-home testing kit — that is, if you can find one.

In an effort to curb hours-long lines at testing sites, city officials have set up distribution vans this week to hand out at-home coronavirus test kits, which are flying off the shelves faster than many pharmacies can stock them.

But the vans will likely run out quickly, too.

Only 2,000 test kits per day will be available at each borough's single distribution spot, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio. The vans start handing out the kits at 9 a.m.

Here's where the vans will be set up on Dec. 24, according to the mayor:

• BRONX: Bryan Park, Corner of E Fordham Rd and E Kingsbridge Rd, 10458
• BROOKLYN: Flatbush, Corner of Church Ave and Flatbush Ave, 11226
• MANHATTAN: Corner of West 125th St and Malcolm X Blvd, 10027
• QUEENS: Woodhaven, Jamaica Ave and 92nd Street, 11421
• STATEN ISLAND: SI Ferry, 1 Bay St, 10301

The mayor also said free test kits are available at New York's 119 city-run test sites, though it is not clear how many each location will have.

New Yorkers who don't want to take their chance with one of the free tests can also scope out the at-home kits at pharmacies.

Both Walgreens and CVS provide an online list of stores where at-home kits are in stock, though grabbing one before they sell out will also be a race against the clock.

There is also an online tracker that provides general updates on where to order tests, according to a guide in Gothamist. But, the outlet points out, some retailers are charging almost $100 for a single kit.

Businesses that price-gouge customers for the at-home tests could face legal action, New York Attorney General Letitia James has warned.

The mad dash for at-home tests comes as New Yorkers try to get tested before the holidays and deal with a record-number of new coronavirus cases fueled by the omicron variant.

New York state has broken its new positive COVID case count record three days in a row, with another 22,478 people testing positive on Sunday — 12,404 of which who live in New York City, according to data.

Officials said Wednesday the city is now testing 170,000 people per day, significantly higher than its previous record of 120,000 tests in a single day.

Both the city and state have also ramped up the number of public in-person testing sites in New York City this week.

Read More:

• New NYC COVID Sites Open As 170K People A Day Rush For Tests
• NYC Hospitalizations Tick Up As COVID Surges, Omicron Spreads
• NYC Scrambles To Fix COVID Testing Woes After Long Lines, Waits