Some residents in ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods are spreading the word not to get tested at all, in order to make it look like their infection rate is better than it is. And there are reports of urgent care centers ignoring state law that requires them to report test results to Albany. In City Council hearings this week, Dr. Demetri Daskalakis, the city's deputy health commissioner, said he is aware of the issue but is not sure how widespread it is.
"One of our problems is that we only know about tests that are reported, not tests that aren't reported," he said. "So I can't give you a percentage or an idea of how many folks are not submitting these test results."
Daskalakis said the city is reaching out to providers to make sure they're following the reporting requirement, and state health officials say they're also investigating