COVID Testing at the County Center
Westchester County Executive gave his weekly update on Jan. 10, and reviewed the latest COVID data. Latimer said that it appears that there has been a slight reduction in the speed of growth in positive tests, hospitalizations and deaths, and that the tide and trend downward may be coming soon.
Latimer announced in addition to hosting a COVID-19 testing center, the Westchester County Center in White Plains is opening this Wednesday, January 12 to pediatric vaccinations and booster shots. The Westchester County Department of Health is running the vaccination and booster clinic, with testing occurring at different times than vaccine and booster clinics and will be in a different section of the County Center. Additionally, the facility will be thoroughly cleaned in between testing and vaccination and booster times.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said: “We have the space; we have it set up as a medical facility so offering testing, as well as vaccinations and boosters, makes sense and it is what the people of this County need right now. I want to thank the Westchester County Health Department for getting these clinics up and running. I encourage everyone to get vaccinated, get your children vaccinated and get boosted. Getting COVID vaccinated, as opposed to not vaccinated, can be the difference between requiring hospitalization and just having mild symptoms.”
Vaccination / Booster Times January 2022
· Wednesday, 1-4p.m., Boosters
· Thursday, 3-6:30p.m., Pediatric
· Friday, 1-6p.m., Boosters and 2:30-6pm, Pediatric
· Two Saturdays a month, 10a.m.-2p.m., first is January 22,Booster and Pediatric
Boosters are for ages 12+, Pfizer for age 12-17, Pfizer/Moderna/J&J for age 18+. Pediatric vaccines are for ages 5-11, Pfizer
Appointments can be made at health.westchestergov.com
Direct links below:
Boosters: https://apps2.health.ny.gov/doh2/applinks/cdmspr/2/counties?OpID=D43B8BA69D2F0288E0530A6C7C15C3B9
Pediatric Vaccinations: https://apps2.health.ny.gov/doh2/applinks/cdmspr/2/counties?OpID=D44B98D86E1F01B2E0530A6C7C15222D
COVID Testing at the County Center
Due to a limited number of COVID tets, free testing is available at the Westchester County Center in White Plains only for symptomatic members of the community or those with a known exposure to a confirmed positive case. The CDC recommends being tested 5 to 7 days after an exposure. This testing is not for travel. Appointments are required. Keep checking back, as appointments will be added every three days. “We have a limited number of tests and we want to use them where we can get the most good. If you are symptomatic, we want to test those people,” said Latimer.
COVID Testing Times January 2022
· Monday: 8a.m. – 4p.m.
· Tuesday: 8a.m. – 4p.m.
· Wednesday: 8a.m. – 12p.m.
· Thursday: 8a.m. – 2p.m.
· Friday: 8a.m. – 12p.m.
Link to Make a Testing Appointment: https://app.squarespacescheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=24841628&calendarID=6348560
Latimer provided the following details on recent COVID data in Westchester:
35,816 active cases of COVID, 626 hospitalizations, 31 deaths in the past week. Latimer called the new COVID number deeply concerning, and said that the Westchester Department of Health will attempt to find our what county residents under the age of 18 are vaccinated or infected, as a way to help keep the schools open and children in school.
“Some folks argue for no masks and no vaccinations, but they also want their kids in school. That’s not possible, and knowing the vaccination rates for those under the age of 18 will be help us, so we can look at it and have it drive policy. If we want to keep schools open, we need that information.”
Latimer said that he is hoping to get a deeper breakdown of COVID hospitalizations and deaths from the State to determine what percentage of those in a Westchester hospital bed have been vaccinated and what percentage of those who have died were unvaccinated.
Latimer explained that both he and Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins recently tested positive, were quarantined at home, and had mild symptoms. White Plains Mayor Tom Roach, who joined Latimer for this update, said that he also recently tested positive.”I was vaccinated, and boosted and had no symptoms, and I tested positive. I was grateful that I was vaccinated and boosted.”
Finally, Latimer said that for those Westchester residents who wanted to help the victims of the recent fire in a Fordham heights apartment building in the Bronx, could drop off donations at the Pelham Picture House. For more information visit, thepicturehouse.org.
