By Dan Murphy
Westchester County Executive George Latimer, during his COVID briefing on Dec. 27, announced that Westchester County has contracted with Quadrent Bisciences to administer free COVID testing at the Westchester County Center starting Wed. Dec. 29.
Latimer said that the number of tests that the county has for the county center is limited and will not meet the high demand from Westchester residents, and all Americans to get tested.
This testing is by APPOINTMENT ONLY – walk ins will not be accepted. Appointments will only be available 3 days in advance. Testing is for anyone experiencing symptoms or anyone who has been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. The testing is not for travel. Testing is available for all ages, including children and infants.
Tests can be scheduled here: http://www.westchestergov.com/health
Testing will be conducted through the below schedule:
- Dec. 29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (full)
- Dec. 30, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (full)
- Jan. 3, Noon – 4 p.m.
- Jan. 4, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Jan 5, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Jan 6, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Jan 7, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Jan. 10, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Jan. 11, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Also during his briefing, Latimer went through the new COVID numbers for Westchester County, which he called “alarming” and “front page news.”
As of Dec. 27 there were 16,819 positive COVID cases in Westchester, the highest number in more than one year. One month ago, Nov. 26, there were 2,078 cases, and on Dec. 19 there were 7,462 cases. “We are seeing a frighteningly high jump in the number of positive cases,” said Latimer.
One month ago, Nov. 26, Westchester had a 2% rate of all people tested; that percentage is now 13.7%. Because the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus is not as severe, many medical professionals are asking communities to focus more on hospitalization rates and fatalities. Laitmer also provided those figures.
Hospitalizations have risen from 50 on Nov. 24, to 214 on Dec. 24, a number that Latimer said “is concerning.” Westchester County’s peak hospitalization rate in the middle of the pandemic last year, before a vaccine was available, was 600. In Nov. there were 7 fatalities in Westchester; in Dec. there have been 30.
“In the last few weeks we have seen a tremendous increase in our positive cases, and a four-fold increase in hospitalizations and fatalites. I present these numbers to show the importance of taking the actions which are in our control. Three weeks ago, I ordered a state of emergency for Westchester County. We saw what was coming and now it is even worse. But we were able to increase the number of vaccination sites and change the testing model and test more. We have also encouraged a much greater use of masks, which we are implementing but not enforcing,” said Latimer.
Demand for testing continues to outpace the supply, here in Westchester, throughout New York State, and across the country. Latimer said that Westchester County has tested 180,000 over the past 2 weeks compared to 128,000 tests completed one month ago. These are PCR tests and do not include at home COVID tests completed privately.
Latimer said that in the days before Christmas, Westchester County was given 40,000 test kits, which were distributed immediately to first responders, health centers, hospitals and local governments. “These 40,000 kits were snapped up quickly and didn’t address the high demand,” said Latimer.
New York State pulled out of adminstrering tests at the County Center and on Glen Island last month because of a lack of demand. That demand has now returned, and angry residents have been posting on social media for Latimer, or Governor Hochul, or somebody to get them a test kit that does not exist for every resident.
Currently, 94% of Westchester residents have at least one vaccine, and 84% have two vaccinations.
