As omicron surges, COVID test result delays linger
COVID-19 test result delays linger, death toll remains high
A state-run COVID-19 testing site opened at Farmingdale State College on Thursday. Credit: Kendall Rodriguez
Newsday's Bart Jones reports that some Long Islanders say COVID-19 results have been delayed for seven days or more — which makes the tests effectively useless, given the CDC's guidelines saying infections require five days of isolation.
William McCann, of Williston Park, says he went to a state-run testing site in Hauppauge on Dec. 29 and was told by a worker he would get the results in 24 hours or 48 hours "max." He didn’t get the results until a week later — well after he needed to know if he was positive for a New Year's family gathering.
Others are reporting similar delays at both government-run and private sector testing locations.
Dr. Dwayne Breining, executive director of Northwell Health Labs, said waits of seven days for results are not uncommon in many facilities, though Northwell itself is trying to process tests within 48 hours. Major national laboratories "are all completely overwhelmed with this omicron spike," Breining said.
The New York State Department of Health said the average turnaround time for test results in the state is three days, though it is higher on Long Island. On its website, the CityMD urgent care chain said it's taking three to five days to turn around results for PCR tests. Some Long Islanders say the wait is a week.
Meanwhile, the number of daily deaths from causes linked to the virus jumped to 196 in the state on Wednesday, the highest level in nearly a year. That included 13 people in Nassau and 12 in Suffolk.
Plus, New York State is ending contact tracing for COVID-19, saying it's nearly impossible to keep up with the number of cases and that counties instead should focus on vaccinations and testing, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
And if you're looking for a place to get tested, here's an updated guide.
The number of new positives reported today: 4,098 in Nassau, 4,413 in Suffolk, 31,530 in New York City and 60,374 statewide.
This chart shows the concentration of new COVID-19 cases reported in communities across Long Island, with data as of Tuesday.
Search that map and view charts showing the latest local trends in vaccinations, testing, hospitalizations, deaths and more.
There won't be a newsletter edition on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so we'll see you on Tuesday. See more coronavirus headlines below.
Erin Serpico is an assistant web producer who joined Newsday in November 2018. Originally from New Jersey, she now covers community events and produces local content for newsday.com while also helping run the homepage.
