Press release:
- State is partnering with Northwell Health to establish 24 temporary testing sites at churches in predominately minority communities;
- Results of state's diagnostic and antibody surveys and comprehensive survey of newly admitted patients hospitalized for COVID-19 found communities of color are most impacted by COVID-19;
- Preliminary results of antibody testing survey of more than 1,300 transit workers in the NYC Region show 14.2 percent have COVID-19 antibodies;
- Confirms 2,715 additional coronavirus cases in New York State -- bringing statewide total to 333,122; new cases in 48 counties.
Governor Cuomo: "Today we're launching a new initiative, again to address exactly this which is to expand access to testing in low-income communities and communities of color. We're partnering with Northwell Health which is the largest health system in New York and they're going to set up 24 additional testing sites at churches in predominantly minority communities."
Cuomo: "This is a different kind of partnership, it's creative, but it's necessary. We're working with both churches individually and association of churches and Northwell. Northwell will provide the testing in churches in lower-income communities and communities of color. The churches will help us outreach to the community to get people to come in and explain why it's important that people come in and get tested when you put the church-based sites together with the drive-thru sites, together with the walk-in testing sites, and our sites at public housing, the coverage will be extensive."
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Cuomo today announced the launch of a new initiative to expand access to testing in low-income communities and communities of color. The state is partnering with Northwell Health to establish an initial 24 temporary testing sites at churches in predominately minority communities in Downstate New York to build on the state's network of Downstate testing sites.
The results of the state's diagnostic testing and antibody testing surveys show that low-income and minority communities are suffering the most from COVID-19. The largest statewide antibody testing survey of 15,000 New Yorkers found a greater infection rate in communities of color.
Additionally, the state's comprehensive survey of all newly admitted patients hospitalized for COVID-19 found communities of color are most impacted and of the 21 zip codes with the newest COVID-19 hospitalizations, 20 have greater than average black and/or Latino populations. A deeper look into two of the most impacted communities in the survey, in Brooklyn and the Bronx, found communities of color are also lower-income and have a greater percentage of COVID-19 hospitalizations and infections than New York City overall.
Today's testing expansion initiative builds on previous state actions to address inequalities and deliver for those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent weeks, the state has partnered with Ready Responders to bring healthcare services, including COVID-19 diagnostic testing, to residents of public housing in New York City and delivered one million cloth masks and 10,000 gallons of hand sanitizer to public housing.
The Governor also announced the preliminary results of the state's antibody testing survey of more than 1,300 transit workers in the New York City region show 14.2 percent have COVID-19 antibodies, compared to 19.9 percent of the general population in New York City.
