NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- New York City will set up new pop-up COVID-19 testing sites and award $10 million in grants to support testing and tracing efforts in its hardest-hit neighborhoods, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday.
The city's goal is to test 150,000 New Yorkers this week, the mayor said.
"We now have over 200 sites where New Yorkers can get tested, and we're going to keep adding to that," he said. "If you've been putting it off, this is a great time to get tested."
The city this week will also be launching a "hyperlocal" testing response, starting in the 10457 ZIP code in the Tremont section of the Bronx, Annabel Palma, Chief Equity Officer of the city's COVID-19 Test & Trace Corps, said during de Blasio's briefing.
As part of the response, the city will test at least 2,500 people in that ZIP code within the next two weeks. Residents who test positive will be offered myriad services, including hotel rooms in which they can quarantine if needed, Palma said.
"Our goal is to break that chain of transmission and get every New Yorker tested," she said. "I know that this may be scary to a lot of people, but this is the best way to stop the spread of the virus."
New York City will be awarding $10 million in grants to more than 20 community-based organizations to support their testing and tracing efforts, Palma said.
Grants will range from $50,000 to $750,000 and focus on the city's hardest-hit communities, she added.
