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Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, located in Tarrytown, announced it is creating 500,000 test kits for the state, at no charge amid a national shortage of kits and swabs.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that Regeneron began distributing the tests this week, and will be shipping approximately 25,000 per day as they continue ongoing deliveries. Cuomo announced that Corning will be donating 100,000 tubes and providing another 500,000 tubes to the state at a reduced cost with expedited delivery.
To date, New York State has tested 220,880 people, including 15,694 in the past day. It is by far the most expansive testing in the country and in the world, per capita, Cuomo said.
“New York has been very aggressive on testing from day one - so far we have tested more than 220,000 New Yorkers with more than 15,000 new tests every day - and it has helped us slow the spread of this virus," Cuomo said. "Rapid testing is the fastest way to return to normalcy and get the economy back up and running, and will also help end the anxiety that has become the most oppressive part of this situation."
As of Wednesday, April 1, there have been 83,712 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New York, most in the nation. Globally, there have been 926,625 cases, resulting in 46,438 deaths. The United States’ 210,714 cases are the most in the world, nearly double the number in Italy (110,574), and more than double the amount in Spain (102,179), China (81,554), and Germany (77,779).
"We now have the new testing capacity in New York thanks to donations from Regeneron and Corning so we can continue our work to plan forward and prepare for when the apex of the curve hits our healthcare system," Cuomo added. "In the meantime, New Yorkers must continue to comply with all social distancing protocols and stay home as much as possible to prevent spreading this virus to others."
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