New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Jan. 30 announced a program to ship COVID-19 antiviral pills from Pfizer and Merck directly to residents' homes for free, though supplies are limited.
The oral antiviral pills — Pfizer's Paxlovid and Merck and Ridgeback Therapeutics' molnupiravir — are available to eligible New Yorkers for same-day delivery. Due to limited supply, the city is prioritizing the treatments for COVID-19 patients who are at higher risk of developing severe illness, health officials said.
People who test positive should call their providers or contact the city's COVID-19 hotline — 212-COVID19 — to see if they're eligible for a prescription. The city has partnered with Alto Pharmacy, a telehealth pharmacy, to distribute the drugs.
"Our city's public healthcare system is seeing a decline in COVID-19 hospital admissions, but we are still very busy treating severely ill patients," said Mitchell Katz, MD, president of New York City Health + Hospitals. "Free, at-home delivery of these antiviral pills will keep high-risk New Yorkers out of the hospital so we can immediately free up critical resources."
Health officials on Jan. 30 also announced COVID-19 cases in New York City have dropped by more than 80 percent since early January, and more than 75 percent of all New Yorkers have been fully vaccinated.
COVID-19 antiviral pills are in limited supply nationwide. To learn more about Paxlovid and molnupiravir, click here.