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New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that as of Monday, 140,000 antibody tests provided to first responders and healthcare workers are available as part of a four-week federal testing program.
The program is in coordination with the federal government partnering with Department of Health and Human Services and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The federal government is covering all the costs, so this is free to first responders and healthcare workers. De Blasio said the program will help understand what’s going on with the virus.
The testing is voluntary and starts with FDNY, which includes paramedics and EMTs. Testers will go to worksites.
It’s the same setup starting today for those working with The Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME).
By the numbers: Testing goals for the city continue to evolve. For the week of May 25, the goal is 50,000. For the following week of June 1, the goal is 60,000+.
Over 150 Covid-19 test sites in the city are up and running. Sites include two more Health and Hospital test sites which opened Monday – one in Brooklyn’s Midwood neighborhood and one in Washington Heights in Manhattan for a total of 25 within the public hospital system across the city. City Med clinics are also participating testing.
The city is partnering with local companies and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine to produce the testing kits.
