NYCEDC ramps up local production
line to manufacture COVID-19 test kits
BY JASON COHEN
Large-scale testing is required
to safely reopen New
York City. While the nation
faces a shortage of swabs, a
key component in test kits,
New York City is producing
its very own.
On May 18, Mayor de Blasio
announced that the fi rst
“Made in NYC” test kits are
now in use at NYC Health +
Hospital community testing
sites citywide. By the end of
this week, more than 60,000
test kits will be delivered,
building on the city’s commitment
to rapidly expand
its testing and tracing operations.
“We are moving full steam
ahead to build a massive
testing apparatus from the
ground up,” Mayor Bill de
Blasio said. “Widespread testing
is the key to reopening
our city, and we are using every
resource at our disposal
to ensure we get there safely.”
In a matter of weeks, the
New York City Economic
Development Corporation
(EDC) consulted with experts
across the country, forged relationships
with local manufactures,
worked with medical
professionals and city
agencies to review swab designs,
fi gured out sanitization
and vetting processes for
medical use and then quickly
BY MARY JANE MUSANO
I hope this column fi nds
you happy, healthy and not too
bored. It is so very important
that we put some of our time towards
learning about the candidates
that we will be voting for
in November. It has never been
more important than right now
to get a candidate in that knows
our community and is willing
to fi ght for us.
We see it as our job to help
you get to know some of the candidates
so that you can cast an
educated vote. So, in order to do
that we would like to invite you
Testing kits being developed by the city. Courtesy of NYCEDC
to our very fi rst virtual meeting
where you will get to meet some
of the candidates and learn
about their platform. The meeting
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 BTR
will take place on June 23rd
at 7:00pm. The log in will be
given in a future column. Please
mark the date and time in your
calendar so you will remember
this important meeting date.
It will be a Zoom meeting
so if you are not familiar with
Zoom, perhaps you can do some
research or ask a friend about
how to use Zoom. It isn’t very
complicated and is something
we will all need to know how to
use going forward in this changing
world.
Once again, John Cerini
has come to our rescue and we
would like to thank him. John
will host our virtual meeting
which will allow us to keep in
touch with our members and
provide this very important information.
God bless you, John
for always coming through for
us and our members.
If you attend this meeting,
you will have an opportunity to
get free face masks delivered to
your door so that you will not
have to venture outside. We will
tell you how to do this at our
meeting on June 23rd. We care
about our members and want
you to be safe, so please join us
for our virtual meeting.
CIVIC CENTER
Waterbury LaSalle
Civic Association
BY AL D’ANGELO
Lest we forget, “They gave
the full measure.” They left
families and friends and died
in Ardennes, on the Beaches of
Normandy, the frozen wasteland
of the Chosin reservoir, in
the jungles of Vietnam and on
the sands of the Middle East.
Young men and women,
many barely out of high
school, who were taught to
love thy neighbor and thou
shall not kill, now fi nd themselves
transformed into a combat
soldier, trained to kill the
enemy.
Imagine the fear when our
heroes landed on Normandy
where some units lost 90% of
their fellow soldiers. Imagine
the noise of heavy artillery
and small arms fi re. Imagine
seeing men you trained with,
laughed with and drank with
gone, never again to see the
light of day.
“All gave some, but some
gave all.” This is what Memorial
Day is about — to honor
our fallen, to pray for their
families who will never see
them again; will not see them
marry, will not see them grow
old and who will mourn the
rest of their lives. It is also a
day to remember the combat
Veterans and the pain of losing
a buddy and wondering
“why not me?” They are living
with the unspeakable horrors
of war that will haunt them
for the rest of their lives. We
thank you for your service.
CIVIC CENTER
Morris Park
Community
Association
found local manufacturers to
begin production.
“Testing is critical to the
health of New Yorkers and
the future of our economy,”
said James Patchett, president
and CEO of the EDC.
“We took matters into our
own hands by building our
own tests kits. Innovations
like these will lead our city
and our country through this
crisis.”
Manhattan-based Print
Parts, an additive manufacturing
company, is producing
up to 100,000 3D printed swabs
a week while the Albert Einstein
College of Medicine in
the Bronx is producing transport
medium based on a CDC
recipe. The swabs and transport
medium are the critical
components in the production
of test kits.
These components are
then assembled into completed
kits by Collab, a Brooklyn
based fabrication lab.
Antibody Testing
First responders and
healthcare personnel are eligible
to receive antibody testing
through a partnership
with CDC. Testing has already
started for OCME staff
and others who are eligible
can sign up at FirstSeroSurveyNYC.
com.
New Yorkers can fi nd their
closest COVID-19 testing site
at nyc.gov/CovidTest.
The CDC can now confi rm
a link to COVID-19. Parents
should watch for the following
symptoms and seek care immediately
if their child has:
• persistent fever
• irritability or sluggishness
• abdominal pain, diarrhea,
vomiting
• rash
• conjunctivitis (red or pink
eyes)
• enlarged lymph node
“gland” on neck
• red cracked lips or red
tongue
• swollen hands and feet
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/CovidTest