MTA Expands Antibody Testing Locations
Written by Andrew Corselli
Photo courtesy AM New York
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has expanded its partnership with Northwell Health-GoHealth and BioReference Laboratories to provide antibody testing for all MTA employees throughout the New York metropolitan region at no cost.
The antibody testing provides MTA and New York State health authorities with a better estimate of the overall infection rate, which will help inform public health recommendations and the broader strategy for reopening New York.
Beginning May 18, MTA employees will be able to get tested at 52 Northwell Health-GoHealth Urgent Care facilities in the New York metropolitan region. Northwell Health-GoHealth facilities are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.
Priority will be given to employees designated as essential and performing critical operational roles. Participation in the program is voluntary and the tests will be provided at no cost to employees.
“Antibody testing is a critical tool for providing important health information to our employees and helping workers safely return to work in large numbers,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick J. Foye. “We are moving quickly and strategically to make sure our employees are able to get tested, and are hopeful that, in time, this will help bolster the number of healthy workers who are able to move the essential workers in the fight against this pandemic.”
“It’s imperative that we provide this critical testing to our frontline heroes and the local communities that have been hardest hit by this pandemic,” said Dwayne Breining, M.D., Executive Director, Northwell Health Labs. “We now have the capacity to handle thousands of antibody tests per day. This testing provides quick and reliable testing results which are crucial to understanding how the virus has spread and will be critical to opening up our economy.”
“The MTA provides unwavering support to millions of New Yorkers each day and plays a central role in New York City’s transportation model,” said Jon R. Cohen, M.D., Executive Chairman of BioReference Laboratories. “Supporting the frontline, essential employees of the MTA is a privilege for us. We commend Governor Cuomo for choosing to utilize COVID-19 antibody testing as a tool to assist in providing valuable information about who has been infected and who may potentially be immune from re-infection.”
