Suffolk To Distribute Coronavirus At-Home Test Kits

SMITHTOWN, NY — Suffolk County is set to distribute tens of thousands of at-home coronavirus test kits to seniors and vulnerable people in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim announced Friday.

The county has partnered with municipalities, police, community groups, non-profits, and more throughout Suffolk to dole out the test kits. The kits will be going to assisted living homes, food pantries, faith-based organizations, and community centers in order to make sure seniors, immunocompromised people, and those on fixed income benefit.

Bellone said the omicron wave — which he called the second-most impactful wave of the coronavirus pandemic — is ending and society is hitting the endemic stage; or the transition back to normalcy.

"This virus is not going to go away," Bellone said. "It is going to be here with us. It is something that we are going to live with."

Bellone says he sent a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul weeks ago as the omicron-related numbers began to decline to discuss a return to normal.

"I sent a letter to the governor and talked about the fact that the numbers were coming down significantly, and this was the moment, this was the time, to really begin the conversation on how we transition back to normal, to the stage we are living with the virus," Bellone said. "You're seeing that conversation happening now around the country as well, which I think is very important."

Protections against the virus include vaccines, therapeutics, and testing, according to Bellone. The executive said it is still important to provide the resources that those most vulnerable to COVID-19 need to stay safe.

More than 200,000 test kits have been distributed so far, and Bellone predicts that over the next six months, several hundred thousand more will be doled out. The county is focusing on providing rapid test kits to the most vulnerable populations and has sent kits to partners like Long Island Cares, Island Harvest, and others.

Wehrheim said it is the hope that we are at the end of the coronavirus pandemic.

"People need to get back to living again, enjoying life again, and finding some sense of normalcy, which we have been robbed of for the past two-and-a-half years," Wehrheim said.

With at-home testing, people can visit their loved ones in Smithtown nursing homes, Wehrheim said. Seniors can once again socialize in the township's senior living community.

"We can get back to living again, safely," Wehrheim said.