NYC Unveils Coronavirus Test Wait Time Tool Amid Holiday Rush

NEW YORK CITY — A new online tool will give New Yorkers a heads up on wait times at city-run coronavirus testing sites after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday outlined the wait time tool along with other expanded COVID-19 testing efforts.

The push follows a Thanksgiving holiday season that health officials worry could be a cauldron of potential coronavirus infections stemming from gatherings and travel.

"Testing from the very beginning has been the core of every successful strategy," de Blasio said.

Long lines before the holiday plagued many locations that offered coronavirus tests. Those could return if New Yorkers follow health officials' advice to get tested if they had a Thanksgiving gathering or traveled over the holiday.

De Blasio pointed out that city-run, Health + Hospitals sites generally avoided such wait times and have had short turnaround times on test results.

He said New Yorkers looking to get tests at those sites can check @NYCHealthSystem on Twitter for updates three times a day on wait times.

And beyond those thrice-daily updates, New Yorkers can check a new online tool at testandtrace.nyc that will provide wait time information every two hours.

New Yorkers who have had contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 shouldn't wait to isolate themselves, said Amanda Johnson, head of the city's Take Care Initiative.

Johnson said at least one in five new coronavirus cases in the city have been traced to household transmission. She said the city provides resources, including free hotel stays, for any New Yorker looking to separate themselves from their loved ones or roommates.

"Don't wait. Separate," she said, referring to the city's program to quickly and easily help New Yorkers isolate.

New Yorkers can find out more about resources provided by calling 212-COVID19.