As COVID-19 cases rise across upstate New York, a new mass testing site opened Monday in Saratoga County to provide and process up to 1,000 COVID tests a week.
The county is partnering with Quadrant Biosciences to administer the Clarifi COVID-19 saliva test to symptomatic patients.
Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Todd Kusnierz, who got his own test Monday, says patients will receive results 24 to 48 hours after the testing at Malta Commons Business Park at 100 Saratoga Village Boulevard.
Tests will be administered 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and the site is scheduled to stay open for at least four months.
"We chose this site because Malta, as I indicated, is centrally located here in Saratoga County," Kuznierz said. "We have plenty of parking outside the facilities here. And more importantly, we have easy access off the Northway right off of Exit 12."
There have been more than 25,000 total COVID cases in Saratoga County and 174 new reported cases since Saturday. Kusnierz touted the county’s vaccination rates.
"I can tell you, as of today that 61.5 percent of our seniors have received the booster shot and what's significant about that number is that figure is 25 points above the state average," he said. "And if you look at the national numbers we're 15 percent above the national numbers. If you look at the age group five to 11, Saratoga County has the second highest coverage of those individuals with at least one shot."
Commissioner of Saratoga County Public Health Services Dr. Daniel Kuhles agreed, saying knowing your COVID status helps break the chain of transmission and prevents new cases.
"As the chairman said, we are among the highest in the state at testing more than 8,200 per 100,000 population per week. And this initiative with Quadrant Biosciences will even add to that," Kuhles said. "It'll help alleviate pressure on our private medical providers and our urgent cares, so that they can focus on taking care of patients in need."
The testing site will only be administering the saliva test, which is more accurate and less invasive than the nasal test. Patients are instructed not to eat or drink 30 minutes before the test and should not brush their teeth or use any mouthwash at least an hour before the test. Patients also cannot smoke or use smokeless tobacco products within 30 minutes of the test, either.
Patients can make a reservation for a COVID test online at saratogacountyny.gov/COVID/
The increased focus on testing comes as the state Department of Health announced a new round of hospital limitations due to spiking COVID cases.
With beds in short supply, some non-essential procedures are being limited at 32 hospitals around the state, including three UVM Health Network facilities in the North Country, Saratoga Hospital, Glens Falls Hospital, and Albany Medical Center.
