County Health Department To Test Essential Workers For COVID-19 May 15

OSWEGO COUNTY – The Oswego County Health Department will test essential workers for the COVID-19 virus Friday, May 15, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Scriba Highway Garage, Route 104, Scriba.

The test will determine if workers have active COVID-19 virus, not whether they were exposed and have built up antibodies. People may be carrying the coronavirus and not show symptoms.

“The State Department of Health recently expanded its protocol for COVID-19 testing to include people who meet the definition of ‘essential workers’ in New York State. The test is for people who work in a public setting who don’t have symptoms of coronavirus,” said Jiancheng Huang, Oswego County Public Health Director. “Effective May 12, all personnel of all nursing homes, adult care facilities, adult homes, enriched housing programs and assisted living residences must be tested twice a week.”

People are asked to pre-register for appointments by calling the Oswego County Health Department COVID-19 hotline at 315-349-3330. The hotline will be open until 7 p.m. today, May 14, and will re-open at 8 a.m. Friday, May 15. Please have your insurance information available when you call for the appointment.

The NYS Department of Health defines “essential workers” as people who work in the health care field, nursing homes and long-term care facilities, as well as first responders, firefighters, law enforcement, corrections officers, social workers, veterinary staff, auto service and repair, and people who work in retail, grocery stores, pharmacies, child care, food service, and hotel and motels. A complete list is available at https://covid19screening.health.ny.gov/.

Essential workers who don’t have symptoms of COVID-19 may also visit a state testing site. The closest state testing sites are Griffiss International Airport, Rome; Binghamton University, Binghamton;  and Monroe County Community College, Rochester. To make an appointment at one of these sites, call the state COVID-19 hotline at 1-888-364-3065or visit https://covid19screening.health.ny.gov/. There is an online screening test to determine who meets the state’s criteria.

Anyone with symptoms of coronavirus should call the Oswego County Health Department hotline at 315-349-3330. Additional information, daily updates, and video presentations are posted on the Health Department’s web site at health.oswegocounty.com/covid-19 and on oswegocounty.com.

Press release from Oswego County.

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