Antibody testing access will be provided for Suffolk County’s police officers

Suffolk County will provide law enforcement officers access to antibody testing starting next week, County Executive Steve Bellone announced at his daily news briefing this afternoon. 

Testing will be available to all law enforcement officers in Suffolk County, including those in the town police departments on the East End.

“All our law enforcement officers are there for us each and every day,” Bellone said during his briefing. “It’s important to say thank you, but it’s also important that we show them support.”

Antibody testing provides information about whether someone has already been infected with the coronavirus, which officials say is a crucial piece of information in determining the extent of the spread of the disease and developing a plan for reopening.

“I’m happy to announce that we’re able to provide some additional reassurance for [law enforcement officers] and their families by providing them with antibody testing,” Bellone said.

Suffolk County will partner with Northwell Health to provide this service to law enforcement officers, he said.

The county plans to conduct 500 tests on law enforcement officers beginning next week, with registration beginning Monday at the Suffolk County Police Academy.

Antibody testing will roll out to other essential employees as testing capacity expands, Bellone added.

For the first time in weeks, Suffolk County today dipped below 1,000 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19, with 970 patients hospitalized with the virus county-wide. 

The county peaked at 1,658 total coronavirus hospitalizations on April 11.

Bellone called the past month “one of the most difficult and trying months that we’ve ever seen,” but added, “We’re ending it with hope.”

“We’re ending in a far better place than when we began,” he said.