2 TEST SITES PLANNED
Mobile screening for coronavirus will be in Kingston and Ellenville
Mobile test sites for the novel coronavirus are to be set up by Monday in the city of Kingston and village of Ellenville, Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan said Thursday.
Ryan said during a Facebook town hall event that the sites will be in retail parking lots and that exact locations will be announced once the logistics are finalized.
Ryan was joined for the online event by U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado, D-Rhinebeck, and both men answered questions from some of the 5,000 people who watched.
Ryan said there were nine confirmed cases of the coronavirus, known as COVID-19, in Ulster County as of Thursday afternoon. New York state’s online listing of COVID-19 cases showed 10 in Ulster County, but Ryan said one of the 10 patients actually lives in Rockland County.
The state list also showed 51 cases in Orange County, 31 in Dutchess County, three in Sullivan county (though officials there say the number is four), two in Greene County and one in Delaware County.
Ulster County Health Commissioner Dr. Carol Smith said one of the nine Ulster patients is elderly and in a local hospital. She said the other eight were at home and recovering. The health commissioner did not provide additional infor
mation about any of the patients.
Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said Wednesday that his county is seeking state permission to establish a mobile testing site and is working with a private health care provider to operate it.
Delgado said increased testing for the virus is “a big issue” and that the federal government is “playing catch-up.” He said a federal bill that would ensure free testing for people with or without health insurance is in the works in Washington.
Ryan stressed on Thursday, as he has previously, that not everyone in Ulster County who wants a test will be able to get one. He said anyone who believes they should be tested must first contact their doctor to discuss their exposure and symptoms and, if deemed to be in need of testing, will be given a prescription that can be used at a test site.
Residents also may call the county’s COVID-19 hotline at (845) 443-8888 and speak with a trained volunteer or public health nurse who can prescribe a test, Ryan said.
He said tests will be given to patients based on the severity of their symptoms and their risk factors.
“Once we are up to where we need to be,” the county will have the ability to perform hundreds of tests per day, the executive said.
Smith said by phone later Thursday that, statewide, testing has reached “surge capacity” and that it can take up to 72 hours to get results.
While awaiting test results, Smith said, “we do still keep the individuals in a ... quarantine, and we take the abundance of precautionary measures.”
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Also Thursday, Ryan said 60 restaurants in Ulster County are participating in Project Resilience, an effort to feed the needy while keeping the restaurants’ staff members employed and their businesses afloat in the midst of the pandemic.
Some $2 million had been raised toward a $5 million goal, and donations continued to come in.
Since Project Resilience was launched Tuesday, hundreds of residents have requested meal assistance from every corner of Ulster County, according to a county press release.
Project Resilience also is partnering with Family of Woodstock to identify open day care slots throughout Ulster County and match them with health care professionals who are in need of emergency child care.
Ryan also announced Thursday that all hotels and lodging facilities in the county are being given a 30day extension to pay their occupancy taxes.
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At 11 a.m. Friday, March 20, Molinaro and Ryan will host a joint online town hall about the coronavirus. It will be streamed live on the Dutchess County government Facebook page.
During the live event, viewers will be able to ask questions via Facebook comments.