Joint Statement from Governor Cuomo, Governor Murphy, and Governor Lamont on Federal Decision to Weaken Covid-19 Testing Guidelines

The joint statement presented today comes a day after Governor Cuomo’s comments yesterday on the CDC’s new guidance issued earlier this week.

Updated on August 24, the related CDC titled “Overview of Testing for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)” states the following:

If you have been in close contact (within 6 feet) of a person with a COVID-19 infection for at least 15 minutes but do not have symptoms:

• • You do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or your health care provider or State or local public health officials recommend you take one.
    • A negative test does not mean you will not develop an infection from the close contact or contract an infection at a later time.

If you do not have COVID-19 symptoms and have not been in close contact with someone known to have a COVID-19 infection:

• • You do not need a test.
    • A negative test does not mean you will not contract an infection at a later time.

If you are in a high COVID-19 transmission area and have attended a public or private gathering of more than 10 people (without widespread mask wearing or physical distancing):

• • You do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or your health care provider or State or local public health officials recommend you take one.

Mr. Cuomo yesterday:

“The CDC on Monday changed the guidance to say if you have been in close contact with a person who was infected with COVID, you do not need to get a test. … I’ve spoken to health experts from around the globe. None of them will say that this makes any sense from a health point of view. The only plausible rationale is they want fewer people taking tests because, as the President has said, if we don’t take tests you won’t know that people are COVID-positive and the number of COVID-positive people will come down. … it totally violates public health standards and rationale and just fosters his failed policy of denial – ‘COVID’s not a problem’.”

Today’s Joint Statement from Governor Cuomo, Governor Murphy, and Governor Lamont on Federal Decision to Weaken Covid-19 Testing Guidelines:

“The CDC has been a consistent, credible, and reliable guide for our nation for decades, providing clear and science-based guidance on everything from infectious disease to vaccines. That role is vital to our collective public health and it must continue. This 180-degree reversal of COVID-19 testing guidelines is reckless, and not based on science and has the potential to do long-term damage to the institution’s reputation.

“CDC and HHS have not shared their scientific rationale for this change in policy, which substitutes sound science-based public health guidance with the President’s misinformation. This abrupt and ill-informed shift threatens the robust testing regimes our states have worked tirelessly to stand up with our federal partners.

“Health experts recommend testing close contacts of individuals with COVID-19 to identify and prevent asymptomatic spread. This type of robust testing by our states has been a key factor in our success so far to flatten the curve in the tristate area.

“New York, New Jersey and Connecticut will continue to follow the advice of health experts to contain and prevent the spread of COVID-19, and therefore will not be changing our guidance that prioritizes testing for this population.”