3 BRONX WEEKLY March 29, 2020 www.BXTimes.com
Jacobi launches drive thru COVID-19 testing
SNACK FOODS INDUSTRY
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
THE RIGHT CANDIDATE SHOULD HAVE EXPERTISE IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:
BY JASON COHEN
With more than 25,000
confi rmed coronavirus cases
in New York and 2,328 in the
Bronx, medical professionals
are doing everything they can
to help people.
On March 17, Jacobi Hospital
launched a drive thru testing
site for coronavirus. So
far, the disease has killed 131
in the city, including a principal
in Brooklyn and renowned
playwright Terrence McNally.
Dr. Elana Sydney, chief of
ambulatory medicine at Jacobi,
spoke with the Bronx
Times about how the testing
works and who should come
for it. She stressed that people
do not need a doctor’s note, but
must call 311 in order to make
an appointment and they cannot
just show up at the site.
Testing is available from 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m.
“I think people are concerned,
obviously anxious, but
I think the overall atmosphere
has been controlled,” Sydney
said.
Upon arrival the patients
are greeted by a few nurses and
a doctor. The car pulls up, the
A cop directing traffi c at the drive thru testing site at Jacobi. Photo Courtesy Jacobi Hospital
nurse gets their info, the doctor
asks them what symptoms
they are having and then swabs
their mouth. A diagnosis is received
within 48 hours.
During her brief interview
around 12:30 p.m. on March
20, there had already been 30
cars at the site. Sydney said if
anyone has a fever, coughing,
sore throat or respiratory issues
they should call 311 and
make an appointment.
“I think the best thing everyone
can be doing, even
with mild symptoms, is to stay
home, isolate and quarantine
themselves,” she said.
According to Sydney, most
people will experience fl u like
systems, but since there is
no cure, it is spreading much
quicker. Furthermore, the elderly
and people with weaker
immune systems are more
prone to it.
The doctor stressed that
people are fl ooding the emergency
rooms when they aren’t
symptomatic and that isn’t
helping
“I think people are anxious
and they want to get tested,”
Sydney said.
On March 20, Mayor Bill
de Blasio and NYC Health +
Hospitals today announced
expanded, appointment-only
COVID-19 testing capacity
across 10 acute-care hospitals,
seven Gotham Health community
based health centers and
four drive-thru test sites.
Citywide, there are 14,776
positive cases of COVID-19 and
131 fatalities. Currently, there
are 4,364 cases in Queens, 2,887
in Manhattan, 4,237 in Brooklyn,
2,328 in the Bronx, and 953
in Staten Island.
In addition to Jacobi, there
will be 10 new sites at hospitals
each serving 150 people per
day.
There are eight already
open in Bellevue, Elmhurst,
Harlem, Jacobi, Kings, Lincoln,
Woodhull, Queens
There will be seven new
sites at Gotham clinics, each
serving 50 to 75 people per day
and all opened last week at
Belvis, Cumberland, East New
York, Gouverneur, Morrisania,
WE’RE ON TV!
SCHNEPS MEDIA, THE BRONX TIMES REPORTER & BRONXNET PRESENTS
x ex re s s
NEWS, ENTERTAINMENT, FOOD AND MUCH MORE
WEDNESDAYS AT 8:00 PM ON BRONXNET
CHANNEL 67 OPTIMUM & 33 FIOS
/www.BXTimes.com
/www.BXTimes.com
/www.BXTimes.com
/www.BXTimes.com