A new COVID-19 testing and resource center opened in Coney Island on Nov. 17. Courtesy of CHI Health Center
COURIER LIFE, NOV. 27-DEC. 3, 2020 3
BY ROSE ADAMS
A new Coney Island health
center opened its doors on Nov.
17, allowing residents access
to free testing for COVID-19,
the fl u, and strep throat.
The COVID-19 Testing and
Resource Center — located in
Coney Island Cathedral on
Mermaid Avenue between W.
28th and W. 29th streets —
allows residents to schedule
rapid COVID-19 tests, nasal
swab tests, fl u shots, or appointments
with a primary
care provider, said the center’s
chief executive.
“The intent is for the patient
to walk away diagnosed and
treated, whether it’s COVID-19,
or something that requires antibiotics,
like strep,” said Alex
Movshovich, who runs Community
Health Initiatives, Inc.
(CHI), which operates the center.
Patients who are uninsured
can get tested or schedule
a doctor’s appointment for
free, while insured patients
will have their needs covered
by their insurance company.
All coronavirus tests are free
for insured residents under
the The Families First Coronavirus
Response Act.
The rapid COVID-19 tests
are only available to patients
experiencing symptoms, and
yield results within about 10
minutes, Movshovich said.
Anyone can schedule an appointment
for a nasal swab test,
which are experiencing a oneto
two day turn around time.
The opening of the new testing
site — which offers appointments
Monday through Friday
from 9 am to 5 pm — comes as
the city combats an uptick
in cases of COVID-19. Since
Nov. 1, the average percentage
of positive tests every day
has risen from 1.8 percent to
3.01 percent, triggering recent
school closures and threatening
a larger lockdown.
Coney Island is seeing an
even higher positivity rate, with
an average of 4.58 percent of
COVID-19 tests coming back positive
over the week of the center’s
opening, according to city data.
Movshovich said that the
CHI Health Center decided to
open the Coney Island clinic
not only because of the rising
number of cases, but because
of the impending fl u season.
“We recognized that with
the fl u and strep season approaching,
and the similarity
in symptoms with COVID-19,
there needed to be increased access
points for testing,” he said.
“Having an additional testing
site in the community that provides
testing, education, and
immediate access to primary
care will help our residents
deal with the uncertainty when
and if they have symptoms.”
Councilman Mark Treyger,
Assemblywoman Mathylde
Frontus, and state Sen. Diane
Savino attended the opening
of the new center, and thanked
the healthcare providers for
servicing Coney Island, which
has been particularly hard-hit
by the virus.
“Coney Island had one of
the highest death rates during
this pandemic, which is a
testament to the crucial need
for this COVID-19 resource
and testing site,” Sen. Diane
Savino said at the opening.
Combatting
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New testing, resource center
opens in Coney Island
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