Gov. Andrew Cuomo got tested for COVID-19 on live TV and urged more Empire State residents to go get tested.

Enter your number to get our free mobile app

On Sunday during his COVID-19 briefing, Cuomo announced that New York State has doubled testing capacity to reach 40,000 diagnostic tests per day. The announcement came three weeks after he announced an agreement for New York State to work with the federal government to grow New York's daily testing capacity from 20,000 tests a day to 40,000 tests a day.

"Throughout this entire pandemic, testing was key to controlling the virus and now it will be key to monitoring the virus as we begin reopening in regions across the state," he said. "New York has worked aggressively to build a massive statewide sample collection network and is now testing more than any state or country per capita, but our new problem is we have more sites and capacity than we're actually using. The more New Yorkers get tested, the better -- and we are going to ensure to all individuals who will return to the workplace in phase one of our reopening plan have access to testing, and we are launching a new website to make it easier for New Yorkers to find nearby testing sites."

Live Updates: Coronavirus in the Hudson Valley

The governor also announced the launch of a new website where New Yorkers can easily find the nearest COVID-19 testing sites. New Yorkers can visit coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-testing and enter their address to view a list and a map view of the nearest testing sites.

The state has also partnered with Google Maps to display testing site results. New Yorkers can search "COVID testing near me" on Google Maps to easily find the nearest testing sites.

Cuomo encouraged eligible New Yorkers to visit a new website to find a nearby testing site, saying many more New Yorkers are now eligible for a test. New Yorkers eligible for diagnostic testing now include:

  • Any individual who has COVID-19 symptoms;
  • Any individual who has had contact with a person known to be positive with COVID-19;
  • Any individual who is subject to a precautionary or mandatory quarantine;
  • Any individual who is employed as a health care worker, nursing home worker or first responder;
  • Any essential worker who directly interacts with the public while working; and
  • Any individual who would return to the workplace in phase one of the state's reopening plan.

The governor also announced New York State is partnering with CVS to bring testing to more than 60 CVS pharmacies across the state. Each site will be able to conduct 50 or more tests per day.

In hopes of showing others the ease and speed of a COVID-19 test, Cuomo brought a physician on state during his press briefing and her perform a nasal swab test on him.

NYC Residents Moving to HV Tops This Week's Hudson Valley News

More From WRRV-WRRB