Walsh Expresses Concern about Testing and Tracing Capabilities
Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh (R,C,I-Ballston) sent a letter to Gov. Cuomo yesterday regarding testing capacity and contact tracing. As New York State continues to make plans to reopen, it’s vital that every region of the state has the testing capacities and tracers available to ensure a smooth and safe transition.
“The Governor has laid out a number of criteria which must be met by a region in order to open its economy in phases. For the Capital Region, the two most difficult to achieve are monthly testing and contact tracing,” said Walsh.
As many of our residents continue to hear new and changing information regarding the coronavirus each day, it’s important that, as government officials, we work together to ensure they understand the most up-to-date protocols and procedures. In Saratoga County, we’re seeing a low number of people showing up to be tested. Is this because of confusion surrounding criteria to be tested or because we have a shortage of symptomatic residents? The standards the governor has unveiled for contact tracing are troubling. Instead of leveraging the Public Consulting Group, it could potentially be more effective to utilize our 85,000 or so volunteers from the medical field, or those currently on unemployment, or non-essential state or local government workers to ensure we are able to get to where we need to be.
It would be unfair to prevent a community meeting all of the other criteria to be unable to achieve a phase 1 opening (manufacturing and construction) because of a shortage of testing kits or a contact tracing program that may take some time to ramp up. I implore the Governor to consider allowing communities such as Saratoga County to begin to open its economy without the need to have met these two criteria fully.”
These issues need to be explored and clarified as our state continues to take the steps to move safely ahead. I know that I am not alone with my concerns and hope that Gov. Cuomo gives serious consideration to these important issues as our state’s regional re-opening process depends upon them.”