New York opens COVID-19 testing facility in Milford
after Otsego County officials cite need for access

New York Governor Kathy Hochul responded this week to a request from Otsego County officials and will locate a new, state-run COVID-19 testing site in Milford.

The new site — one of only 13 throughout the state — opens Wednesday, December 29 at the American Legion Post at 86 West Main Street; its hours of operation are as follows: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.; Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon.

Milford will offer RT-PCR testing upon its launch, with plans to add rapid antigen and rapid PCR tests within a few days of Wednesday’s opening.

To make an appointment, visit: https://appointments.bioreference.com/nystatecovidtesting

The Milford testing site also will be open to walk-ins.

Otsego County Board Chair David Bliss and Public Health Director Heidi Bond announced the site after hearing from county residents about the difficulties many had in obtaining an appointment for a
COVID-19 test.

The new Milford site is the county’s only state-run testing location, but health officials say COVID testing remains available in “virtually every pharmacy.”

County Department of Health representative Angela Roberts said Bassett Healthcare facilities, primary care clinics, and pharmacies continue to provide COVID testing services. Bassett Healthcare and A.O. Fox require appointments for testing; patients experiencing COVID symptoms can be tested without an appointment at those facilities.

The most recent available specific data for Otsego County available at press time showed 217 active COVID-19 cases reported on December 27, with 17 new cases, 17 hospitalizations, and two new deaths. The County reported a seven-day average positive result of 8.8 percent.

Across New York, nearly 20 percent of COVID tests reported December 27 came back positive, with 6,173 patients hospitalized with COVID throughout the state. Nearly 1,000 of those patients are in intensive care units, with more than 500 intubated.

Governor Hochul and other government and health officials at the state and local levels continue to urge vaccinations and boosters as the primary vehicles to combat the disease.