New York supermarkets start testing for antibodies to coronavirus

The list of places where they conduct testing for coronavirus, the authorities do not declare. So it is planned to cover as much of the state’s population as possible, the newspaper writes. New York Post.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered residents across the state to be tested for antibodies to coronavirus directly at grocery stores. This will more accurately determine the foci of infection and fight the virus more effectively.

Testing has already been conducted in several supermarkets in the Bronx and Brooklyn. Each of them conducted up to 200 antibody tests per day. This was told by Rudy Fuertes, president of Fteley Food Corp., which operates 10 Fine Fare outlets in the Big Apple.

They decided not to announce that supermarkets will start testing on COVID-19. As Fuertez noted, otherwise the queues would have formed in the shops of those wishing to do the test. He himself confirmed the coronavirus, although there were no symptoms.

Antibody tests in New York began last month. However, only medical workers and hospital patients were tested. At the beginning of last week, tests began to be carried out in ambulance clinics. In addition, authorities have promised that testing will also begin in more than 5000 pharmacies throughout the state.

The Health Department focused on a random sample of the population - people who shop and work in supermarkets. Now, health workers conduct tests for the virus right inside stores: blood is taken from five fingers for analysis, the results are sent directly to participants by e-mail or by phone.

Statewide supermarkets are participating in the program, although a health department official declined to name specific stores. “The governor spoke of testing as one of the keys to reopening the state,” the official said. "Supermarkets are just part of a spot check."

On the subject: Updates and useful resources: everything you need to know during an emergency due to coronavirus

Over the past two weeks, about 8000 people have been tested in New York, of which 3000 samples were taken randomly from state residents.

Fare estimates that about 30% of his employees are infected with coronavirus. It is based on the fact that almost 100% of its managers in every store are infected.

Its stores in the Bronx are at 1221 Fteley Avenue and 459 E. 149th St. were test sites last week. Test sites were also opened this week at the Key Food store in Williamsburg, also owned by Fteley Food Corp.

Cuomo said this week that nearly a quarter of New Yorkers are infected with coronavirus. The infection rate in Westchester and Rockland counties this week was 15,1%, on Long Island - 14,4%, outside of these regions the state average is 3,2%.

As previously wrote ForumDaily New York:

• New Yorkers are exempt from COVID-19 testing fees. In addition, insurance companies are obliged to inform residents of the city about the benefits available, provide medical advice and treat this disease. About who is at risk and who should be tested, Read here.
• In late March, the state opened mobile testing points for the presence of coronavirus. They are located in New Rochelle and Nassau, Rockland and Suffolk counties, as well as in a number of Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens hospitals. True, not everyone can get tested there.
• New York has already begun work on steps to economic recoverywhen the epidemic of coronavirus goes into decline.
• Contact tracking system is a critical step to begin to ease restrictions and re-open the New York economy.