A RESOLUTION SUBMITTED BY LEGISLATOR BASKIN Re: Calling for the Establishment of a COVID-19 Drive-Thru Testing Site on the East Side of Buffalo

Modified: April 13, 2020 3:41pm

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Monday, April 13, 2020

WHEREAS, a primary focus of the Erie County Legislature is to work with our partners in the Erie County Department of Health, the Erie County Executive, our healthcare partners, and community and civic organizations across the community to decrease the spread of the COVID-19 virus; and

 
WHEREAS, due to a nationwide, state and local shortage of tests, the Erie County Department of Health established a stated protocol to only test “essential” workers and certain symptomatic persons for COVID-19, with County officials noting that the positive test counts across the county likely significantly under-represent the true, actual number of positive COVID-19 cases; and
 
WHEREAS, data provided by the County has shown that the zip codes 14215, 14211, and 14208 on the East Side of Buffalo have been severely impacted with positive cases of COVID-19; and
 
WHEREAS, on April 13, 2020, 14215 had 117 positive COVID-19 cases, 14211 had 55 positive cases, and 14208 had 46 positive cases; and
 
WHEREAS, Erie County officials have noted that a large number of persons working in healthcare live in the 14215 and related zip codes on the East Side of Buffalo, and indicating potential causality between high numbers of COVID-19 in these communities and the employment status of residents who work as home healthcare aides, nurses, medical assistants, and support positions in nursing homes and hospitals; and
 
WHEREAS, the 1199 SEIU healthcare worker union has reported that 785 of their healthcare members live in the 14215 zip code, 440 live in the 14211 zip code, and 230 live in the 14208 zip code on the East Side of Buffalo; and
 
 WHEREAS, there are many residents of these zip codes who work at hospitals, nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, health clinics, and other places, including in individual homes, as medical aides, janitors, cleaners, maintenance workers, kitchen employees, and security personnel, etc. who could be susceptible to COVID-19 by virtue of their employment and designation as essential employees during this crisis; and
 
WHEREAS, these zip codes have some of the highest rates of poverty in Erie County – 26% in 14215, 38.5% in 14211 and 37.3% in 14208 – and therefore, there is a high likelihood that many of the healthcare workers and their neighbors in these neighborhoods are working poor, with limited access to transportation, living wages, childcare, fresh food markets and primary health care; and
 
WHEREAS, by way of comparison, on March 18, 2020, the Erie County Department of Health operated a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site for certain persons (including non-essential persons who were referred by their physicians) in Lancaster; and
 
WHEREAS, on March 25, 2020, the Erie County Department of Health operated a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site for certain persons (including non-essential persons who were referred by their physicians) in Amherst; and
 
WHEREAS, conducting drive-thru testing for COVID-19 is a national model and a safety issue to minimize potential exposure to healthcare workers and other patients; and
 
WHEREAS, there have been no drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites established in Buffalo so far and the creation of such a site would be helpful and reassuring to the community; and
 
WHEREAS, on April 11, 2020, the County announced an expansion of testing eligibility for COVID-19, to no longer require a referral from a primary care physician, and to expand testing to include symptomatic persons who receive dialysis and infusion therapy, hospital and community healthcare workers, hospital and community medical facility employees, and their families, such as those who live on the East Side; and
 
WHEREAS, due to the employment demographics of the East Side of Buffalo, the large number of COVID-19 cases there (and likelihood the data significantly under-counts the true number of positive COVID-19 cases there), and the need to properly test healthcare employees who are working in nursing homes, assisted living centers, private homes and other settings, the County should hold a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site on the East Side of Buffalo.
 
            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
 
RESOLVED, the Erie County Legislature calls on the Erie County Commissioner of Health to immediately establish a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site in, and establish eligibility for healthcare workers and symptomatic residents of the East Side of Buffalo, particularly those in the 14215, 14211 and 14208 zip codes, and including those persons suffering from acute chronic illnesses such as diabetes and asthma who may be more susceptible to COVID-19; and be it further
 
RESOLVED, that certified copies of this resolution be transmitted to the County Executive and the Erie County Commissioner of Health.
 
Fiscal Impact:  None for this resolution.