BUFFALO, N.Y. — With a steady increase of COVID-19 cases in the Western New York region, state health officials have set up testing facilities in our area.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says the caution flag in the Western New York region will be raised a little higher after the region's COVID-19 positive rate was at 2% for August 26.
Governor Cuomo says the state will deploy a SWAT team from the Department of Health and open eight testing sites, including three in the City of Buffalo.
"The infection rate in Western New York was 2%, so that's not good news, and we're going to deploy a SWAT team from the Department of Health that are going to do additional testing at eight sites," said Cuomo.
The WNY region's, which consists of Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties, rate of positive COVID-19 tests has been above 1% for nine straight days, according to health officials. The region is averaging 70 near cases per day.
Officials say the numbers are driven by a clusters, including a food processing plant in Dunkirk and community spread.
"The whole key to this process is what we call turnaround time. How quickly do you get the test results back? And, one of the advantages of the system that's coming to Western New York, the Abbot ID now, it that one can get test results back in 13 minutes or less," says Dr. Thomas Russo, Chief of Infectious Disease at the University at Buffalo.
Dr. Russo says this will help us maximize public health measures to stop the spread.
"This test is going to be one tool in our box to decrease the number of new coronavirus cases. The backbone remains our public health measures. Universal mask usage, physical distancing, and hand hygiene when appropriate and of course if you're ill, please stay home, and that's the scenario when you want to get tested to determine whether you're infected or not," says Dr. Russo.
A list of the eight new testing sites is available below. You will need to call:
1-833-NYSTRNG to schedule an appointment.
- Delavan-Grider Community Center, 877 E. Delavan Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14215
- True Bethel Baptist Church, 907 E. Ferry Street, Buffalo, NY 14211
- Northwest Buffalo Community Center, 155 Lawn Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14207
- Dunkirk Fire Murphy Training Grounds, 665 Brigham Road, Dunkirk, NY 14048
- SUNY ECC North, 6205 Main Street, Williamsville, NY 14221
- Union Fire Department, 1845 Union Road, West Seneca, NY 14224
- John A. Duke Senior Center, 1201 Hyde Park Boulevard, Niagara Falls, NY 14301
- YWCA of the Niagara Frontier, 32 Cottage Street, Lockport, NY 14094