Cuomo sending rapid testing machines to areas with uptick in coronavirus cases
New York's latest effort will help the state 'pinpoint and identify' the clusters, he says
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New York State will deploy 200 rapid testing machines to multiple zip codes and counties across the state to address the recent uptick in coronavirus cases, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday.
While the U.S. continues to grapple with new cases each day, Cuomo stressed that there are "significant increases" in localized clusters in Brooklyn, Orange and Rockland counties and the Southern Tier.
THE NUMBER OF POSITIVE CORONAVIRUS TESTS IN NEW YORK CLIMB TO HIGHEST SINCE EARLY JUNE
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We're coming into the fall and all the health experts say you have to be careful about the fall," Cuomo said in a statement. "People go indoors, colleges open, and it's flu season. We have spikes in other states and we have a global spike."
Of the 52,936 statewide tests reported Monday, 834 (1.5% of total cases) were positive. Ten zip codes in the state are said to account for 27% of Monday's new cases, the governor's office said.
To address the issue, the state can send Department of Health staff and rapid testing machines to the zip codes and local governments that are in need.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NYC SEES UPTICK IN CORONAVIRUS CASES IN YOUNG ADULTS, DE BLASIO WARNS THEY ARE 'NOT IMPERVIOUS'
"When we see clusters, we will jump in immediately and increase testing and compliance," Cuomo tweeted.
New York's latest effort will help the state "pinpoint and identify" the clusters to see where cases are coming from, Cuomo said. Health officials have already begun reaching out to the affected communities "to do additional testing and compliance measures in those areas," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New York's increase in positive test results comes amid a number of spikes in other states in the U.S. as well as around the globe, in places such as France, Spain and Israel.
In the states, Wisconsin has the highest positivity rate, at 18.5%. Iowa is next with a 16.4% positivity rate and then Utah, with a 12.9% positivity rate, according to Cuomo.
As of Monday, Cuomo disclosed that more than 800 new cases have brought the state's total to 456,460.
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