COVID-19: NYC Quote of the Day 2020-05-09

Saturday, May 9, 2020, NYS Gov. Cuomo - 24 Additional Testing Sites at Churches in Predominantly Minority Communities

Poor and minority communities are suffering most. The numbers in the state are not nearly as bad as the disparity in many other states, but any disparity is bad. We did surveys and data that show if you look at the 21 zip codes with the highest number of hospitalizations for covid, 20 of those 21 have greater than average African-American or Latino populations. Especially in Brooklyn, and in the Bronx, it's clear that the communities are heavier minority population and heavier year low-income population. And when you compare that with the overall city rate, it makes the same point that hospitalization rate, infection rate among the minority community, among lower-income communities is higher than the average.

Unfortunately, this is often the case. When you look at disasters, emergencies, I don't care if they're hurricanes, floods, whatever they are, the poorest people pay the highest price. We understand why, we understand the health disparities, we understand co-morbidities, but we also understand it's just not right. We have to break the cycle.

New York, we're going right at finding the reasons for the disparity and resolving them. We're doing more testing in low-income communities and communities of color. We're do testing in public housing aggressively. Partnering with Ready Responders which is a group which is doing great work. We've delivered PPE equipment, masks, over one million, hand sanitizer, et cetera to public housing.

And today we're launching a new initiative to expand access to testing in low-income communities and communities of color. Northwell Health is going to set up 24 additional testing sites at churches in predominantly minority communities. The churches will help us outreach to the community to get people to come in and explain why it's important that people come in and get tested. Some will be opening the week of May 12. Some will be opening the second week of May 19. When you put the church-based sites together with the drive-thru sites, together with the walk-in testing sites, and our sites at public housing, the coverage will be extensive.

We now need New Yorkers to go get the tests. I know, "I feel fine." You can feel fine and test positive for COVID. You can be asymptomatic and still have the COVID vipers. "Well I feel fine, what's the difference?" Because you can give it to someone else who will not feel fine, who's more vulnerable, an older person, a person with an underlying illness, and they could be in serious trouble. So, you want to know if you have it not just for yourself but so you don't communicate it to anyone else.
Edited for redundancy, grammar, and emphasis
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