Christopher Mergendahl was one of a few hundred Ulster County residents who lined up around the Andy Murphy Center Tuesday in Midtown Kingston to pick up one of the county’s 33,000 newly procured COVID-19 antigen test kits.
They can be administered at home with a nasal swab and produce results in 15 minutes.
Mergendahl said the last time he had COVID-19 symptoms, he took a longer-term viral test, and was sidelined from his cashier job at a local store.
What You Need To Know
- Ulster County officials began distributing 33,000 rapid COVID-19 tests Monday in Kingston
- Once Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan declared a state of emergency last month due to a spike in cases and hospitalizations, the county was able to more quickly procure the rapid test kits
- He said another contact tracer from the state is coming to the county to assist with contact tracing among students
“I ended up missing four or five days of work while waiting for the results to come back to make sure I didn’t have it,” he said. “I just want to have one on hand.”
Once Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan declared a state of emergency last month due to a spike in cases and hospitalizations, the county was able to more quickly procure the rapid test kits. Tuesday was the first day they were available.
Judging by a line that snaked around the center, initial demand for the rapid test kits was high.
County officials estimate they distributed 500 kits (1,000 tests) Tuesday in less than one hour.
“We’re one of the first counties to figure out how to get these directly out to our residents,” Ryan said, adding that the county will make the kits available at numerous other sites beginning Dec. 20.
“Throughout the next week or two, we’re going to have sites all across the county at school districts, town halls and other community partner groups,” he said.
Ryan said the first batch of 33,000 kits should help county residents through the December holidays, before the county needs to procure more.
Ulster County has about 90,000 households and 180,000 residents.
County Legislator-elect Phil Erner was given a handful of kits to deliver to families in his district who have had to keep their children out of school and day care.
Erner said he hopes the testing system lessens absences, and in turn, stress for local parents.
“If everyone does their part in thinking about public safety, I think we’ll be in better shape,” he said on his way out.
Ryan said another contact tracer from the state is coming to the county to assist with contact tracing among students.
