Option 1: Contact your health care provider to see if they offer testing
Option 2: Use the NY COVID-19 Test Site Finder
- Visit coronavirus.health.ny.gov/find-test-site-near-you
- Enter your zip code and select a nearby location
Option 3: Call the NY State COVID-19 Hotline at (888) 364-3065
Free PCR COVID-19 testing at Westchester County Center starting Weds. 12/29
Westchester County has partnered with partnered with Quadrant Bio Sciences to offer free PCR COVID-19 testing at the Westchester County Center starting Wednesday, December 29. This testing is appointment only – walk ins will not be accepted. Appointments will only be available 3 days in advance. Testing is for anyone experiencing symptoms or anyone who has been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. The testing is not for travel. Testing is available for all ages, including children and infants.
- Starting around 3:00 P.M today, tests can be scheduled here: http://www.westchestergov.com/health
- Testing will be conducted through the below schedule:
- Dec. 29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Dec. 30, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Jan. 3, Noon – 4 p.m.
- Jan. 4, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Jan 5, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Jan 6, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Jan 7, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Jan. 10, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
SUNY PURCHASE TEST SITE
Testing at SUNY Purchase will take place at the school’s Performing Arts Center, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase. There will be both appointment and walk-in testing availability. Testing is set to begin on Friday, Jan. 7. The SUNY Purchase test site will operate from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can book an appointment online at https://bit.ly/3Gh5IXr
(updated 1/6/22)
- Given what we currently know about COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, CDC’s recommendation for isolation for people with COVID-19 is 5 days, if asymptomatic, followed by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others.
- For people who are unvaccinated or are more than six months out from their second mRNA dose (or more than 2 months after the J&J vaccine) and not yet boosted, CDC now recommends quarantine for 5 days followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days.
- If a 5-day quarantine is not feasible, it is imperative that an exposed person wear a well-fitting mask at all times when around others for 10 days after exposure.
- Individuals who have received their booster shot do not need to quarantine following an exposure, but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s1227-isolation-quarantine-guidance.html
(Updated: 12/29/2021)
Free COVID-19 Tests :
Every home in the U.S. can soon order 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests. The tests will be completely free—there are no shipping costs and you don’t need to enter a credit card number.
Free COVID-19 Tests can be ordered from this source.
Ordering begins January 19: https://www.covidtests.gov/
The above website is a trusted and verified source but beware of other websites that sell fake COVID-19 tests.
How to spot a fake test kit
- Only buy tests authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration. The FDA’s website has a list of more than 40 authorized home tests, some of which have age restrictions. You can buy these tests online, at pharmacies and some retail stores.
- Check the FDA’s list of fraudulent Covid-19 products to ensure the test kit you’re about to buy, or the company you’re going to buy it from, isn’t on there.
- Look at a variety of sellers and compare credible reviews from expert sources like medical professionals or health organizations before making a purchase decision.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/08/us/fake-covid-19-testing-kit-how-to-know-wellness/index.html
(Updated 1/19/22)
Take a look at the NY Health Department’s COVID-19 Testing Next Steps
- Quarantine if you have been in close contact (within 6 feet of someone for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period) with someone who has COVID-19, unless you have been fully vaccinated. People who are fully vaccinated do NOT need to quarantine after contact with someone who had COVID-19 unless they have symptoms. However, fully vaccinated people should get tested 5-7 days after their exposure, even if they don’t have symptoms and wear a mask indoors in public for 14 days following exposure or until their test result is negative.
- Isolation is used to separate people infected with COVID-19 from those who are not infected.
- People who are in isolation should stay home until it’s safe for them to be around others. At home, anyone sick or infected should separate from others, stay in a specific “sick room” or area, and use a separate bathroom (if available).
- To calculate your 10 full day isolation period, day 0 is your first day of symptoms. Day 1 is the first full day after your symptoms developed.
- If you test positive for COVID-19 and never develop symptoms, day 0 is the day of your positive viral test (based on the date you were tested) and day 1 is the first full day after your positive test. If you develop symptoms after testing positive, your 10-day isolation period must start over. Day 0 is your first day of symptoms. Day 1 is the first full day after your symptoms developed.
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Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html
(Updated 12/27/2021)
If you tested positive, you will get a call from a public health representative to identify people you have been in contact with- this is called Contact Tracing.
You can use the NY Health Department’s Contact Tracing Tool to keep track of people you were in close contact with, and to prepare for the contact tracing call.
1. A diagnostic test can show if you have an active coronavirus infection and should take steps to quarantine or isolate yourself from others. Currently there are two types of diagnostic tests – molecular (RT-PCR) tests that detect the virus’s genetic material, and antigen tests that detect specific proteins on the surface of the virus. Samples are typically collected with a nasal or throat swab, or saliva collected by spitting into a tube.
2. An antibody test looks for antibodies that are made by the immune system in response to a threat, such as a specific virus. Antibodies can help fight infections. Antibodies can take several days or weeks to develop after you have an infection and may stay in your blood for several weeks after recovery. Because of this, antibody tests should not be used to diagnose an active coronavirus infection.