MAYOR DE BLASIO CALLS ON CDC TO SEND NEW YORK CITY MORE COVID-19 TESTING KITS AND FDA TO APPROVE TESTS DEVELOPED BY PRIVATE HEALTH INSTITUTIONS

Mayor Bill de Blasio today urged the CDC to increase the City's supply of COVID-19 testing kits. Mayor de Blasio also called on the FDA to expedite the approval of all appropriate testing approaches developed by private institutions. With approval of these test methods and kits, the City could see testing capacity across the city increase by nearly ten times what it is now, and lower the time it takes for test results to be available.

"Quick detection is vital to stopping the spread of the virus,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We need the CDC to step up so our experts can do their job and protect New Yorkers. Our single greatest challenge is the lack of fast federal action to increase testing capacity, and without that, we cannot beat this epidemic back.”

Previously, the CDC sent New York City two test kits to begin testing locally at the City’s Public Health Lab. The City has requested additional testing kits from the CDC and will continue to do so in order to meet the City’s commitment of testing as many people as possible.