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MALTA — A large-scale community COVID-19 testing site opened on Monday in Malta, Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Theodore Kusnierz announced at a morning press conference.
“One of the things we committed to in January of this year is we would make Saratoga County’s response to COVID our number one priority. And this is an extension of that effort,” said Kusnierz. “The opening of this testing site is another example of how Saratoga County has made fighting the pandemic our number 1 priority.”
The site, located off the Northway Exit 12 at 100 Saratoga Boulevard in Malta can accommodate up to 1,000 COVID-19 testing appointments per week. It is part of a public-private partnership with Syracuse-based Quadrant Biosciences.
Kusnierz said the reason behind the opening of testing site is “to take the load off our health care providers and urgent care providers” around the region. During the past week, from Nov. 28 – Dec. 4, there were nearly approximately 18,900 COVID tests performed across Saratoga County. Just over 1,350 people, resulting in a 7.2% positive average was returned over that 7-day period.
Just over 72% of the Saratoga County population is fully vaccinated, according to the county health department. “As Dr. Kuhles (Commissioner of Saratoga County Public Health Services) has repeatedly said, vaccination is the best way to combat COVID,” Kusnierz said Monday. The county is hosting a handful of vaccination/booster clinics in the upcoming weeks. That information may be found at: www.saratogacountyny.gov/covid/covid-19-vaccines-and-boosters/.
The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors - the legislative and executive authority of County government - has not issued any mask-wearing or vaccine mandates, as some other communities in New York State have done.
“This is another effort by Saratoga County to be proactive and to be ready for the holidays coming up – Christmas, New Year’s – we know that families will be getting together in close proximity and there is the anticipation that we will see a continued rise and one of the ways we can be proactive is to have this program up and ready before that time.”
The site will not provide vaccinations and is to be used only by people who are having symptoms.
Testing will be done using the Clarifi COVID-19 Saliva Test. Results will be available within 24-48 hours of testing. Those using the Malta testing site are required to create an account at app.clarifi-covid-19.com to access their results. Appointments may be made 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
For more information or to make an appointment, go online to quadrantbiosciences.com/covidtesting or www.saratogacountyny.gov/COVID.
