Oneida County supplies 60,000 COVID-19 test kits to local municipalities

UTICA , N.Y. — Oneida County says it has 60,000 test kits to supply to local municipalities on top of 46,000 it has already distributed throughout the community.

“As the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic dissipates, Oneida County continues to supply our communities with the tools necessary to move into the next phase,” Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. announced in a press release. “These additional 60,000 home test kits can be utilized to assist our residents in being aware of their health status and in preventing the spread of the virus, which will drive down our case rate even further.”

The tests, supplied by the New York State Department of Health, are the iHealth COVID-19 antigen rapid tests which are self-administered by nasal swab. Oneida County will distribute the tests to municipalities based on the percentage of their population in the county.

Municipal governments interested in obtaining test kits should contact Oneida County Emergency Services Deputy Director Dan Appler at dappler@ocgov.net to arrange pickup.

Oneida County has already supplied more than 46,000 test kids through public giveaways, as well as distribution to municipalities, public-safety departments, businesses, healthcare agencies, schools, libraries, nursing homes, and houses of worship.

Oneida County was reporting 800-900 COVID-19 cases a day in early January and that has now declined to below 100 positives per day over the last week, according to the county’s COVID dashboard.