Back to School Part 2

August 7, 2020

Mark Levine

Six months into this pandemic the federal government still continues to fail — dangerously — on testing. Severe shortages of testing resources remain, as any New Yorker who has waited 7, 10, or even 14 days for results knows.

Inadequate testing hinders our fight to contain COVID-19 in New York City, makes it more difficult to reopen our economy — and impacts our ability to safely reopen schools.

Fixing testing is the lynchpin to our recovery. It’s the key to making it safe for our children to learn in person. That’s why I’m fighting for the federal government to finally do its job and expand the supply of critical testing resources. And I’m demanding that NYC implement a plan to expand quick turn-around testing locally. Will you join me?

We also need to focus testing on the neighborhoods getting left behind. In low income neighborhoods, which have been hit especially hard by the pandemic, tests are far too few. We need to bring the testing sites into these neighborhoods, and we need to increase rapid on-site testing and local outreach to make sure these communities are no longer left behind.

It’s time for the federal government to once and for all do its job and mobilize production of testing equipment and supplies, and it’s time for New York to focus our scarce testing resources on the people and communities at highest risk. Otherwise the system won’t work for anyone.

If we don’t work to broaden testing and lessen delay times for results, there will be no way to open our school buildings without putting students, educators, and their communities at greater risk of contracting COVID-19.

Add your name to demand that rapid testing be expanded, by use of the Defense Production Act by the federal government and a strategic focus by NYC on where testing is needed most. It’s the only way we can slow this pandemic, and it’s key to making it possible for our students and teachers to be safe in any school reopening plan.

Best,
Mark