The cavalry is caught up in red tape.
Last month Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that a Midwestern company would be sending 50,000 coronavirus tests per week to the Big Apple.
“I’m sure New Yorkers wouldn’t have thought that the cavalry would come from Carmel, Indiana, but it has,” de Blasio boasted during an April 14 press conference about the deal with test maker Aria Diagnostics.
Over two weeks later, the city received just 25,000 of the promised 100,000 tests from what de Blasio described as a “reliable partner” — after blasting the feds for failing to provide the materials.
“We need to be able to test everybody who is symptomatic or asymptotic. If they want a test, they should be able to get a test,” Councilman Stephen Levin (D-Brooklyn) told The Post.
“They just announced yesterday they were doing them in Los Angeles. We need to be able to do that here in order to safely reopen New York City,” Levin said.
Mayoral press secretary Freddi Goldstein claimed the tests are delayed due to “unforeseen supply chain issues.”
A rep for Aria, Susana Duarte la Suarez, told The Post there’s a problem with the transport medium for the testing kits.
Both parties said they’re working together to resolve the issue.
I agree with Council Member Levin, everyone should be tested. Especially if we all are going to be rushed into going back to work. I can also understand if he wants to plead with strangers on social media to procure these tests just to prove a smarmy point.
