Downtown Location Added for Increased Accessibility
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: John Turner, Vice President, Public Relations
Cayuga Health
(607) 274-4498
[email protected]
Contact: Dominick Recckio, Communications Director
Tompkins County Administration
(315) 730-1189
[email protected]
Cayuga Health (CH) and Tompkins County officials announced today that they have opened an additional COVID-19 sampling location in downtown Ithaca at 412 North Tioga Street. The new sampling site will be a saliva collection site and has been opened to support individuals residing in downtown Ithaca who may have limited transportation and are seeking a test. The Mass Sampling Center located at The Shops at Ithaca Mall and other community testing locations will remain in operation.
The Cayuga Health/Tompkins County Sampling Site at 412 North Tioga Street has limited capacity and is by appointment only for residents living in the immediate area. Individuals seeking a test will need to pre-register. Once registered, individuals can arrive according to their appointed time to pick up a sampling kit. Directions will be provided with the kit and samples should be returned to the sampling site for testing upon competition.
On-line registration for both sampling sites is available at www.cayugahealth.org for patients to review the screening criteria and pre-register before their arrival. This allows for greater efficiencies with patient volume and decreased wait times. In addition, a call center has been set up for patients who may not have access to Internet, need assistance registering, or have questions. The call center number is 607-319-5708.
“In March we were successful with opening one of the first COVID-19 mass sampling centers in New York State and since then we have extensively evolved our lab operations and overall sampling and testing capabilities. This new sampling location allows for increased patient accessibility for the residents of Tompkins County and supports our downtown community,” states Martin Stallone, President & CEO of Cayuga Health. “I want to thank Tompkins County officials, Cornell University, Ithaca College and our many regional businesses for their continued partnership and support during this fight against COVID-19. I would also like to thank the entire Cayuga Health staff, once again, for their tireless dedication and hard work during this pandemic.”
“Adding this sampling site in downtown Ithaca reflects Cayuga Health System’s ongoing commitment to stopping the spread of COVID-19. This site is designed to help test those who may not have transportation access to the sampling site at the mall, and will be a walkable solution for many of our neighbors in the City. Along with mask wearing, hand hygiene, distancing, and reducing density – testing and contact tracing have continued to be critical tools to stop the spread – we will continue to encourage all of our community members to seek a test if they may have been exposed to the virus or if they have symptoms.” states Frank Kruppa, Tompkins County Public Health Director. “The Health Department continues to extend thanks to the Cayuga Health staff for their dedication – our community is safer because of their work.”
The Cayuga Health/Tompkins County Sampling Site located at 412 North Tioga Street will be open into the foreseeable future as needed. Hours will initially be 8:00 am – 4:00 pm Monday through Friday.
The Cayuga Health/Tompkins County Mass Sampling Center is still located in portable structures at The Shops at Ithaca Mall parking lot, 40 Catherwod Road, and is staffed by experienced and knowledgeable Cayuga Health employees. It is available for pre-scheduled drive through testing from 8:30 am – 4:00 pm, Monday – Friday.
Need transportation to the testing sites? Contact 2-1-1 (or 877-211-8677) for a list of options. Available 8:30 am – 5:00 pm weekdays.
For additional information about cases or specific recent exposures, visit: www.tompkinscountyny.gov/health.
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About Cayuga Health
Cayuga Health (CH) has two hospitals, Cayuga Medical Center and Schuyler Hospital, as well as a multi-specialty group, Cayuga Medical Associates. Combined employment, including affiliated organizations, is over 2,200 employees. CH is clinically linked to Mayo Medical Laboratories, Rochester Regional Health for cardiac services, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the University of Rochester for neurosciences.
The Tompkins County Health Department is your partner for a healthy community.
For more information call the Health Department at 607-274-6600, or go to TompkinsCountyNY.gov/health/factsheets/coronavirus
Find us online at TompkinsCountyNY.gov/health, and follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/TompkinsPublicHealth and on Twitter at @TompkinsHealth
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