Monday, December 20, 2021

Roosevelt Island Residents, Including Many Elderly, Waited In Long Line On Cold Day Up To 4 Hours for Covid 19 Testing And Vaccination From NYC Mobile Test Site Van Today - Van Ran Out Of Swabs, Had To Be Resupplied And Staff Lunch Break Caused Some Of The Delay

A NYC Health & Hospitals Covid 19 Mobile Test site van set up today at Good Shepherd Plaza to provide:

... Testing

PCR and Rapid Antigen tests will be available. Rapid Antigen results can be expected within 20 minutes while PCR results will take longer.

Vaccines and Boosters

First and second shot vaccinations, including Pfizer 12 years+ and Johnson & Johnson 18 years+, as well as boosters will be available...

At about 12:30 pm there was a long line of waiting Roosevelt Island residents.

An Older Long Time Roosevelt Island Resident with underlying conditions reports: 

I came down at 11:45 to get on a short line to get tested. I had been watching the line from my apartment since about 8:30 am; at one point the line seemed to extend to the river to allow for some physical distancing. Great Credit to Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department (PSD) Sgt. Hazelwood & the other PSD officers for helping us out. 

At 11:45, They were already out of the rapid tests, and then ran out of swabs for the PCR test — and were not sure they would have more swabs quickly. Someone started taking names & phone numbers of about 30-40 people on line so they could be called to come back when the swabs were received. And then they just stopped taking names & numbers ... and left the rest of us just standing there. A few minutes later we were told there were about 60 people to be called. 

And then, they went on their lunch break from 1 to 2...

I’m pretty pissed, actually, because there seemed to be no effort of the Test folks to try to prioritize any of the folks on the line.

1. No accommodations for elderly or folks with disabilities or users of canes, walkers, etc. Although I saw two chairs outside the van I guess in case someone couldn’t navigate the steps of the inaccessible van. 

2. No attempt to utilize the benches on either side of the plaza for folks who might need to sit while they wait.

Others commented on Roosevelt Islander Instagram: 

  • We were first in line this morning and were given take home tests. Would also be great if they can state the ages they can test too. Parents like us need places to test our pre k aged kids.
  • It was a big mess this morning! They need to be more organized.
  • Maybe they could alternate going on lunch break. One entire hour is precious when you’ve been freezing for two (hours).
  • They deserve a lunch break! They should give out numbers and maybe a time to come back for the elderly or maybe allow the elderly first.

At 4:30 this afternoon, the line stretched from Main Street through Good Shepherd Plaza almost to the East River at which time some residents were waiting four hours for a test.


Roosevelt Island resident Thom Heyer was on the line waiting for a Covid test in the cold. According to Mr Heyer:

I was there for just over 3 hours (3--6:15pm) 

I would have been there even longer except I was offered a "spit" version of the PCR test which I was able to do in line. (There were 4 people still in front of me + 3 people waiting for vaccinations) 

I was also given a rapid test to do at home...  

They definitely could use some work because it was very unclear why it was moving so slowly. Glad it's all behind me now

NYC Health &Hospitals Corp President Mitch Katz reported during press briefing with Mayor deBlasio today:

... Let me reiterate that the people who do the testing, whether it's at one of our hospitals or through a vendor, these are in fact heroes. They are coming very close to people with COVID without their masks on, because while the swabber has their mask on, the patient cannot, because you're swabbing their nose....

... we've now created an extra pool of people who we can send to replace people at lunch. People do have to take a lunch break, but it is – as you say, sir, it's on us to replace that person so that they can go and have their lunch. But that the testing line keeps moving. And with today, you'll see the sites will run better. 

Once we have enough home kits – that was a huge way we would make lines better, by offering people home kits. They work quite well. And as soon as the supply improves on that, that will be another tool to make the lines go fast, sir.

The Mobile Covid Test van will be on Roosevelt Island this week Tuesday - Thursday 8 AM to 6 PM and Friday 8 AM to 2 PM. No appointments, first come first serve for tests and vaccinations. There is a separate line for tests and vaccinations. The vaccination line was much smaller.

Many people on the line offered compliments to PSD Sergeant Hazelwood and the other officers on duty at the test site for the courtesy and help they provided managing the long line as best they could given the difficult queuing procedures not of their making.

UPDATE 9:10 PM - The most recent 7 Day Covid Testing Data from December 11 - 17, on Roosevelt Island (Zip Code 10044 ) shows 835 people tested and 51 Positive Case for a rate of 6.11%. 

As previously reported, the:

... 7 Day Covid Testing Data from December 10 - 16, on Roosevelt Island (Zip Code 10044 ) shows 778 people tested and 36 Positive Case for a rate of 4.63%....

The 7 Day Covid Testing Data from December 7 - 13 for Roosevelt Island (Zip Code 10044 ) - 813 people were tested and 33 Positive Case for a rate of 4.06%. 

... The 7 Day Covid Testing Data from December 6 - 12, when the Covid Mobile Test Van was here on Roosevelt Island (Zip Code 10044 ), 973 people were tested resulting in 30 Positive Cases for a rate of 3.08%. ...

... The 7 Day Covid Testing Data from November 24 - November 30  for Roosevelt Island Zip Code 10044 shows 578 people tested and 15 Positive Case for a rate of 2.6%.... 

Roosevelt Island vaccination data here.

UPDATE 12/21 - Comments from Roosevelt Islander Facebook yesterday: 

  • Not sure who was handling this operation but just horrible. I also waited for 4 hours. From 12-4. PSD announced 60 people would be seen by 1pm when they would break for lunch until 2pm. During the lunch freeze, PSD managed to find their way into the heated van while there line was growing longer. It wasn’t until we’ll after 2pm that they offered a box of rapid tests since they ran out hours ago. When inquired as to why the PCR line wasn’t moving, I was then informed that everyone who were there at 8am were in front of the current line and being called to come back to test. Then they said it was the internet that went down and so there was a delay. Anyone waiting on the line to get vaxxed were in and out. You had elderly people there and infants who were waiting for hours in the freezing cold. PSD didn’t mention any of this at all once, until people were getting off the line pissed to ask the status. If anyone wasn’t sick already, they sure will be today. You couldn’t pay me to go stand on that line again. What a joke!
  • I stood on line for those four hours. Noon to 4pm. By the time we got to the bronze position,,we had had enough. We took the bribe of two bintax boxes and left. What we needed was the PCR.
  • I purchased 5 at home COVID tests today at the Foodtown Pharmacy-$20 each for a box of only 1Test per box. But…they seemed to have more in stock… And- Duane reade said their shipment arrives tomorrow am for other at home tests. 
UPDATE 9 PM - Long wait of 3-4 hours again today for Roosevelt Island Covid Testing.

Read the full thread.

The most recent 7 Day Covid Testing Data from December 12 - 18, on Roosevelt Island (Zip Code 10044 ) shows 949 people tested and 69 Positive Case for a rate of 7.27%. 


UPDATE 12/22:

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 8:48:00 PM

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