HAVERSTRAW, NY – Senator James Skoufis and Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski announced today the approval of a COVID-19 testing site in the Village of Haverstraw. The Legislators worked alongside Supervisor Howard Phillips, Mayor Mike Kohut, Mayor Rob D’Amelio and their respective boards and County Legislators Hood and Grant to advocate for a much needed Haverstraw testing facility. Governor Andrew Cuomo and the NYS Department of Health have coordinated to approve and establish the testing location in the Village of Haverstraw.

Skoufis and Zebrowski have been working with the local officials for weeks to highlight the lack of testing opportunities in Haverstraw. When Hudson River Health Care enacted a regionalized plan to deal with the pandemic, in person doctors visits as well as the only testing location in the Village of Haverstraw, were both transferred to the Village of Spring Valley. This left the Village of Haverstraw, and the greater town of Haverstraw, with virtually no public or private testing opportunities. Haverstraw zip codes have some of the highest per capita infection rates in Rockland County and New York State. Haverstraw is also the home of a sizable Latino and African American population and statistics have shown these communities have been hit extremely hard by this pandemic.

NEWS 12 Reporting and Interview Assemblyman Zebrowski

The Town and the Village will be providing logistics for the testing site. Testing will be conducted in the municipal parking lot next to the Village of Haverstraw Community Center on West Broad Street. Testing begins tomorrow, Wednesday April 29th from 12PM-5PM. Hours of operation after tomorrow will be 9AM-5PM every weekday. Tests will secured by appointment only and must be made by calling the New York State Department of Health at the following hotline 1-888-364-3065.

“Haverstraw was a testing desert with a high infection percentage and several at risk communities. Some folks could not get to another testing location in the County, which ends up spreading the infection even further. This location will help identify infection, assist in tracing and isolation and facilitate gravely ill individuals with hospital assistance. Thank you to Governor Cuomo and my colleagues in Government for your collaboration,” said Zebrowski.

“I have made it my number one priority since the pandemic hit New York to ensure our Senate District has the resources and commitment of state government to combat this deadly virus. Haverstraw has become a hotspot and, in working with Assemblyman Zebrowski and local officials, we fought to get this new testing site approved. I thank the Governor’s office for their assistance. This new site will make a substantial difference, especially for families that do not have access to transportation to another facility,” concluded Senator Skoufis.