COVID-19 New Rules For Testing From Councilman Andy King

Understanding New Rules for COVID-19 Testing

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has directed health care facilities to immediately stop testing non-hospitalized patients for COVID-19 unless test results will impact the clinical management of the patient. In addition, the department also advised providers and hospitals to not test asymptomatic people. This will help direct medical attention to New Yorkers who need it most and will also help preserve PPE for healthcare workers providing medically necessary care for hospitalized patients. Effective immediately, NYC Health + Hospitals will adopt this new guidance. We will:

v  Continue to have clinicians in our call center talk to thousands of New Yorkers every day to have them stay at home if they don’t need to come to the ED;

v  No longer do testing by appointment and instead use testing centers/tents as a place for patients to go as ED diversion;

v  Reserve testing for patients needing hospitalization, or as part of an ED decompression strategy as clinically appropriate.

Here's the message you can pass on to patients, family and neighbors:

v  In line with New York City Department of Health recommendations, NYC Health + Hospitals is no longer testing patients for COVID-19 who do not require hospitalization.

v  If you are sick with fever, cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat, you must stay inside and isolate yourself from others.

v  Isolate yourself for at least 7 days from when your symptoms started. You must also be without fever during the last 3 days of your isolation.

v  Please only go to the emergency room if you are severely ill.

v  We are asking every New Yorker, regardless of symptoms, to stay inside your home.

v  Staying home can save the life of another New Yorker.

Together we can slow the spread and protect those at higher risk of severe illness

STAY INFORMED - PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD - STAY IN PRAYER! CM-King