Antibody testing shows coronavirus is still spreading in low-income, minority communities in NYC, Gov. Cuomo says

The coronavirus is still spreading through New York City’s low-income, predominantly minority communities when compared with the general population, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday. 

Cuomo said that data from approximately 8,000 antibody tests conducted by Northwell Health in New York City found that the Bronx had the highest percentage of positive tests at 34{3c4481f38fc19dde56b7b1f4329b509c88239ba5565146922180ec5012de023f}. New York City overall had a positive rate of nearly 20{3c4481f38fc19dde56b7b1f4329b509c88239ba5565146922180ec5012de023f}. 

The state has partnered with the faith-based community in lower income, predominantly minority communities to conduct the antibody testing, which found that 27{3c4481f38fc19dde56b7b1f4329b509c88239ba5565146922180ec5012de023f} of people in that group tested positive, he said. 

“Low-income communities, communities of color, they tend to be high Latino, high African American populations. We’re seeing that pattern continue in zip codes, lower income, predominantly-minority,” Cuomo said. “That’s where the cases are still coming from, that’s where the virus is still spreading.”

He said the state plans to implement targeted strategies in highly impacted communities moving forward to control the spread of Covid-19. He said Northwell Health plans to double the number of churches they’re working with in the city, and the state will double its testing program to 44 total churches in impacted communities.

SOMOS community care will open 28 additional testing sites in zip codes where the virus has been spreading, Cuomo said. 

“The spread is continuing in those communities and that’s where the new cases are coming from,” he said. “What we’re seeing in New York City is going to be true across the state.”

This is a developing story. Please check back later for updates.