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Cuomo Advises Protesters: Get COVID Test

John Minchillo
/
AP
Protesters chant during a rally at Cadman Plaza Park, Thursday in New York. Protests continued following the death of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on May 25.

Governor Andrew Cuomo is urging the thousands of New Yorkers who are participating in social justice protests to get tested for COVID -19, to help prevent another potential outbreak of the virus.

Cuomo says there are enough tests available now for everyone who participated in a protest to get tested. He says even though most demonstrators wore masks, it was a crowded environment, and they should just assume that they were exposed to the virus.

“If you were at a protest, go get a test, please,” Cuomo said. “The protesters have a civic duty here also.”

The governor says the state now has over 700 testing sites.  

The governor says the results of  50,000 tests conducted Wednesday show the rate of the virus is down significantly. The number of people who tested positive in New York City, Long Island, Western New York and the Capital Region range from just 1% to 2%, compared to a high of 26% in New York City and 20% on Long Island just six weeks ago. Cuomo says the shutdowns, wearing of masks and social distancing worked, and he does not want to see those numbers climb again.

Karen has covered state government and politics for New York State Public Radio, a network of 10 New York and Connecticut stations, since 1990. She is also a regular contributor to the statewide public television program about New York State government, New York Now. She appears on the reporter’s roundtable segment, and interviews newsmakers.
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