Monroe County on Thursday began distributing 750,000 COVID test kits to local governments and school districts countywide, as the county hits what County Executive Adam Bello calls a “critical point” with rising numbers of COVID cases.
County officials hope people will get one of the free test kits from their town, village or the City of Rochester, and use it before going to any holiday parties for Christmas or New Year. Bello says if people know they’re not infected, they can go with a clear conscience. If they turn out to be infected, they’ll know to stay away from family and friends. He says that will slow the spread of the virus and reduce the pressure on local hospitals, which have already been forced to delay elective surgeries because of an inrush of new COVID patients.
The county paid more than $7 million for the kits, using federal COVID relief money.
The tests are the 15 minute quick variety, which is about 90-95 percent accurate but are particularly good at picking up people who are contagious. County Health Commissioner Dr. Michael Mendoza says “that’s what we want to know.”
People who test positive are asked to report it to the County Health Department.