Westchester County has partnered with the ten housing authorities serving the County to distribute COVID-19 test kits to residents.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said: “We are working swiftly to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and to ensure our neighbors in every Westchester community have access to rapid testing at home. Our outreach through testing and vaccination continues to play a critical role in stopping the spread of this virus and keeping families healthy and safe.”
Westchester County’s Department of Emergency Services has been given an allotment of roughly 8,000 kits from New York State. Each housing authority will hand out kits at their facilities to their residents. All ten Housing Authorities have requested test kits: Greenburgh, Mount Kisco, Yonkers, New Rochelle, North Tarrytown, Peekskill, Port Chester, Tarrytown, Tuckahoe and White Plains.
Westchester County Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler said: “COVID-19 home tests are one of many measures that you can take to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 because it can reduce your chances of spreading the virus to others. If you have been exposed to COVID, it’s best to wait 5 days from the date of exposure before testing. If you test too soon, there’s a high probability that you could receive a false negative test result. Those with symptoms should be especially vigilant about testing so that they can receive supportive care if needed and take necessary steps to prevent others from contracting COVID. This is particularly important with regards to protecting our vulnerable populations, especially children under the age of 5 who cannot be vaccinated yet.”
New Rochelle Municipal Housing Authority Executive Director Angela Farrish said: ”As a provider of low-income housing to senior and disabled residents in New Rochelle, partnering with the County of Westchester to provide free COVID-19 Test Kits, has provided an invaluable service to this vulnerable community. We are forever grateful for this continued partnership”
Westchester County’s allotment of COVID-19 Test Kits have also been distributed to child care centers, community health centers, police departments, fire departments, EMS agencies, senior centers, Chambers of Commerce, hotels, restaurants, food pantries, homeless shelters local municipalities, Department of Public Works facilities, non-profit organizations and houses of worship. It’s part of an ongoing initiative across many channels to keep Westchester families healthy while navigating this pandemic.