Amid Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, Governor Cuomo Launches New Initiative to Expand Access to Testing in Low-Income Communities and Communities of Color

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew M. 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 most new 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.

"It is a cruel fact that when you look at disasters and emergencies the poorest and most disadvantaged people often pay the highest price, and the COVID-19 pandemic is no different," Governor Cuomo said. "The fact is that low-income and minority communities are suffering the most - it is not right and we have to address it. In New York we are working to break this cycle and actually resolve these disparities. We have already taken aggressive actions to help these communities, and we are going to partner with Northwell Health to set up additional testing sites at churches in predominately minority communities. And I want to thank our Congressional partners and the church groups who have been working with us on this issue."

Finally, the Governor confirmed 2,715 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 333,122 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 333,122 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows: