Over 520 people test positive for NOVID-19 in New York State

March 15, 2020
5:49 am

ALBANY – Governor Andrew Cuomo, Saturday, announced the State Department of Financial Services will require insurance companies to waive co-pays for telehealth visits. The action will encourage New Yorkers to seek medical attention from their homes rather than visit a hospital or doctor’s office — ultimately reducing strain on the healthcare system and preventing further spread of the virus.

The governor also confirmed the first novel coronavirus-related death in New York State – an 82-year-old woman in Brooklyn who had a pre-existing respiratory disease of emphysema.

The governor also authorized the state to open a drive-through mobile testing facility on Long Island in the coming week. This follows the success of the New Rochelle mobile testing center, which opened Friday and serviced 150 cars and tested 263 people, exceeding the initial goal of testing 200 people in the first day.

Once fully operational, the New Rochelle facility will be able to test up to 500 people per day. Drive-through mobile testing facilities help keep people who are sick or at risk of having contracted coronavirus out of healthcare facilities where they could infect other people.

The addition of a mobile testing facility on Long Island is part of the state’s initiative to replicate the New Rochelle Mobile Testing Center model at other locations, helping allow the state to run at least 6,000 tests per day starting next week.

This is on top of the testing that will be conducted at the 28 public and private labs across the state and the out of state labs that New York is already contracting with. All of this is a result of the proactive steps taken by Governor Cuomo and the Department of Health to get as many New Yorkers tested as possible.

Governor Cuomo confirmed 100 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 524 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 524 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows: