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By: Staff Reporter

New York State has announced that the NCCC campus will be utilized as a temporary testing site for COVID-19. Tests are not meant for everyone.

The guidelines for who is eligible to receive a test is provided below:

To support the statewide coordinated testing prioritization, health care providers should take the following prioritization into consideration when ordering a COVID-19 test:
1. Symptomatic individuals, particularly if the individual is part of a high-risk population, including persons who are hospitalized; persons residing in nursing homes, long -term care facilities, or other congregate care settings; persons who have a compromised immune system; persons who have an underlying health condition; and persons wh o are 70 years of age or older.

2. Individuals who have had close (i.e. within six feet) or proximate contact with a person known to be positive with COVID-19.

3. Individuals who are employed as health care workers, first responders, or in any position within a nursing home, long-term care facility, or other congregate care setting, including but not limited to:

• Correction/Parole/Probation Officers
• Direct Care Providers
• Firefighters
• Health Care Practitioners, Professionals, Aides, and Support Staff (e.g.
Physicians, Nurses, Public Health Personnel)
• Medical Specialists
• Nutritionists and Dietitians
• Occupational/Physical/Recreational/Speech Therapists
• Paramedics/Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs)
• Police Officers
• Psychologists/Psychiatrists
• Residential Care Program Managers

4. Individuals who are employed as essential employees who directly interact with the public while working, including but not limited to:
• Animal Care Workers (e.g. Veterinarians)
• Automotive Service and Repair Workers
• Bank Tellers and Workers
• Building Code Enforcement Officers
• Child Care Workers
• Client-Facing Case Managers and Coordinators
• Counselors (e.g. Mental Health, Addiction, Youth, Vocational, Crisis, etc.)
• Delivery Workers
• Dentists and Dental Hygienists
• Essential Construction Workers at Occupied Residences or Buildings
• Faith-Based Leaders (e.g. Chaplains, Clergy Members)
• Field Investigators/Regulators for Health and Safety
• Food Service Workers
• Funeral Home Workers
• Hotel/Motel Workers
• Human Services Providers
• Laundry and Dry Cleaning WorkersMail and Shipping Workers
• Maintenance and Janitorial/Cleaning Workers
• Optometrists, Opticians, and Supporting Staff
• Retail Workers at Essential Businesses (e.g. Grocery Stores, Pharmacies,
Convenience Stores, Gas Stations, Hardware Stores)
• Security Guards and Personnel
• Shelter Workers and Homelessness Support Staff
• Social Workers
• Teachers/Professors/Educators
• Transit Workers (e.g. Airports, Railways, Buses, and For -Hire Vehicles)
• Trash and Recycling Workers
• Utility Workers

Diagnostic Testing Access:

Individuals who fit these prioritization categories and do not currently have access to testing can call the New York State COVID-19 Hotline at 1-888-364-3065 or visit the NYSDOH website https://covid19screening.health.ny.gov/to be screened for eligibility, and if eligible, have an appointment set up at one of the State’s Testing Sites.

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