GOVERNOR’S BRIEFING, Sunday, 4/19
State Ramps Up
Antibody Testing
It’s Prelude To Going Back To Work
ALBANY – Governor Cuomo today announced the state Department of Health will begin to conduct a statewide antibody testing survey tomorrow, which he called the most aggressive such program in the U.S.
Large-scale antibody testing will help determine the percentage of the population that is now immune to the virus, allowing more individuals to safely return to work.
“This will be the first true snapshot of exactly how many people were infected by COVID-19 and … will help us to reopen and rebuild without jeopardizing what we’ve already accomplished,” he said.
The testing survey will sample 3,000 people for a population of 19.5 million people – for context Germany performed a 3,000-person sample with a population of 83 million.
The governor also announced:
• the state will continue working with the federal government to assist with the supply chain and coordinate private labs to ramp up diagnostic testing, another key component of getting people back to work and restarting the economy.
• the state is ready to transport 400 ventilators to Massachusetts within 24 hours if they are needed.
• will expand yesterday’s Executive Order to allow any authorized officiant to perform marriage ceremonies using online video technology. (Cuomo had authorized New Yorkers to obtain a marriage license remotely and allowing clerks to perform ceremonies via video conference.
Finally, the Governor confirmed 6,054 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 242,786 confirmed cases in New York State