Brooklyn pols call on CDC to allow Covid-19 testing at SUNY Downstate hospital

Brooklyn Zellnor Y. Myrie has led a joint letter with 23 Brooklyn elected officials in calling on the Atlanta-based Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the manufacturer of testing equipment to allow COVID-19 testing at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University Hospital in Brooklyn.

The officials wrote that “SUNY Downstate is prepared to move forward with on-site testing – with personnel and certifications already in-hand – but will require a COBAS 6800 testing machine, which is subject to the Center for Disease Control allocation strategy.

“This equipment is critical to the borough’s and Downstate’s needs, and it would allow more than 1,500 tests a day to begin being processed in Brooklyn,” wrote the elected officials, copying the letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

“Further, we understand that Downstate is also prepared to develop a drive thru testing site, which we believe is also critically important and timely,” they added.

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