General Public Can Get Coronavirus Antibody Test In Westchester

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY —Testing to see if you already got and recovered from the new coronavirus is now available to the general public at the Westchester County Center. To make an appointment, call 914-326-2060, County Executive George Latimer announced at his Tuesday briefing.

A positive test result shows you have antibodies that likely resulted from an infection. It's unclear if those antibodies can provide immunity to the virus, as protection against getting infected again, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control.

However, state and federal medical officials are using antibody test results to estimate the number of people who have been infected. CDC is also using antibody testing to learn more about how the body’s immune system responds to the virus and to explore how the virus spreads among people exposed to it.

Also in the county, the Westchester Medical Center is the only hospital in the Hudson Valley to become part of a statewide pilot program, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced during his Tuesday briefing.

The purpose is to begin opening hospitals back up to visitors. Only 15 hospitals in the state will participate in the pilot.

As of Tuesday, there were only 2,162 active cases in Westchester — down from 12,000 during the peak of the outbreak locally, Latimer said. Three people died overnight from COVID-19, down from 72 in a 24-hour period at the peak.

The county Parks Department will open the beaches at Rye Playland and Croton Point for Memorial Day weekend — to county residents only. The number of people will be restricted and social distancing and mask protocols will be enforced.

Latimer suggested that though local Memorial Day parades are cancelled, people across the county should consider making a special trip to the monument or plaque in their community that commemorates the men and women of the American armed forces and which residents pass every day.

"One day a year we set aside," he said. "There are so many places American men and women were called to go and put their lives on the line, and they didn't make it back."