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COURIER LIFE, D 4 ECEMBER 24-30, 2021
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BY BEN BRACHFELD
Over 280,000 Brooklynites
braved hours-long lines to get
a COVID-19 test in the sevenday
period between Dec. 16
and Dec. 22, according to state
data, with around 8.6 percent of
those test recording positive results
— marking a testament to
the growing impact of the new
Omicron variant that has led
to a sudden, massive increase
in caseloads just before many
plan (or planned) to see their
families for the holidays.
Data shows that 281,559
Brooklynites got tested in that
seven-day period, including
48,036 on Wednesday, when
the latest is available. Just under
5,592 people tested positive
that day. Unfortunately for the
COVID-cautious, lines for tests
have not abated since Saturday,
as a dashboard showing
wait times at sites run by NYC
Health & Hospitals, the city’s
public hospital network, show
that, at a minimum, Brooklynites
should expect to wait on
line for at least 30 minutes, and
likely longer.
The worst lines are at the
sites in Starrett City and at
Woodhull Hospital, both of
which sport lines that one can
expect to wait on for at least
two hours. Lines are similarly
mammoth at dozens of mobile
testing sites affi liated with the
city, which were intended to
replace 20 brick-and-mortar
sites that the city closed last
month as it hoped to shift its
COVID strategy. That came before
Omicron made its way to
Brooklyn’s shores.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, who
has less than two weeks left in
his term before being replaced
by Borough President Eric Adams,
said last week that the
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