'Blood Emergency' Prompts Blood Drive In Bayside On Monday

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — New York City is still in the midst of a "blood emergency," which Baysiders have a chance to address at a neighborhood blood drive on Monday.

Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, a Catholic Academy in Bayside, is hosting a blood drive at the Bay Terrace Shopping Center, located at 212-51/55 26th Avenue (at the former American Eagle Outfitter shop) from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on March 7th.

The event is in partnership with the New York Blood Center (NYBC), which announced a local "blood emergency" in January when the region's blood supply dropped to a one to two day level from its usual week-long supply.

NYBC's inventory is still at a "critically low level," the blood said recently.

This isn't the first blood emergency that the city's faced in recent months: last March NYBC also declared a blood emergency, when some blood types dropped to one or two day supplies as people were wary of giving blood amid the pandemic.

NYBC, however, said it is taking extra precautions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus at its events (including the blood drive in Bayside), noting that donating blood only takes one hour.

On Monday, donors must wear a face mask, symptom-screen for COVID-19, and be 14 days symptom free if recently recovered from COVID-19.

Since the onset of the pandemic, Bayside has led the effort to save lives through blood donations.

One local hotel, Adria Hotel, has hosted seven blood drives since May 2020, amounting to 608 blood donations or 1,824 lives saved, NYBC said.

To donate on Monday in Bayside sign up online or make an appointment over the phone at (917)-816-6391 or email kat1rose@aol.com. Walk-ins are welcome if space permits, but appointments are "strongly encouraged."