NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — The federal authorities’s plan to ship speedy COVID-19 assessments to properties via the U.S. Postal Service doesn’t seem like working for everybody.
Meagan Furman lives in a home in Beacon, New York, that’s break up into three completely different items and is occupied by 10 individuals. When she went to use without spending a dime COVID assessments through the USPS website it mentioned the tackle was already used to say the 4 assessments per family which are provided.
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“I used to be like, ‘Oh wow, that is simple.’ You simply put in your identify and your tackle, submit, after which it kicks again with you have already got one for your home,” Furman informed CBS2’s Meg Baker on Wednesday.
Her neighbor efficiently positioned an order, so Furman was locked out.
“I’m laughing as a result of I’m like, nicely, what was the purpose of the census individuals knocking on my door 20,000 instances final 12 months?” Furman mentioned.
COVID VACCINE
She referred to as her native publish workplace, however received no assist. She referred to as the assistance line — 1-800-ASK-USPS — and was redirected again to the web site to create a service request.
She’s pissed off, like many others.
“Each time that I’ve tried to make the most of one thing that’s on the market it’s, I appear to be hitting like a setback,” Furman mentioned.
FIND TESTING SITES: Click here for New York City’s testing site locator, together with cell websites and at-home appointments
AVOID THE LINES: Click here for NYC Health+Hospitals testing wait times
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Dr. Lauren Powell, a former state well being fairness official, mentioned the take a look at package rollout is a constructive factor, however some individuals are being ignored.
“People who might not use computer systems on a regular basis. People who don’t have entry to the web,” Powell mentioned.
Month-to-month deliveries are restricted to 4 assessments per tackle. Some households have greater than 4 residents.
“We all know that there are multi-generational households which are extremely concentrated in Black and brown communities, immigrant communities, the place it isn’t exterior the norm to have grandparents and uncles and cousins all residing below one roof,” Powell mentioned.
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Dr. David Collymore oversees group well being clinics within the Bronx and Queens.
“I applaud the federal authorities and the native governments for his or her efforts in getting it out to communities, however we additionally have to be conscious that each group doesn’t have similar stage of fairness and entry,” Collymore mentioned.
CBS2 reached out to the USPS, White Home, and different officers to see how these inequities are being dealt with. The USPS responded, saying there are very restricted instances of addresses that aren’t registered as multi-unit buildings. However the company didn’t contact on general inequalities in buying assessments.
For extra on learn how to fill out service request kind, please click here.
For extra data on how one can get free COVID assessments from the federal government, please click here.
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CBS2’s Meg Baker contributed to this report.
