The Huntington Community Development Agency will be distributing over 10,000 over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 test kits to Town of Huntington residents funded by the 2020 CARES Act Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) program.
Pre-registration is required. Recipients must be Town of Huntington residents and each household is eligible to receive up to four (4) OTC Rapid Result COVID-19 test kits. Apply online at huntingtonny.gov/covid-test-kits.
Distribution will start at Manor Field Park in Huntington Station located on East 5th Street until test kits are depleted. Hours of operation will be Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 9am to 2pm, Wednesdays from 3pm to 7pm, and Fridays from 1pm to 4pm, while supplies last. The distribution site will not be open on Federal holidays.
The Huntington Community Development Agency is also partnering with Value Drugs of Greenlawn to provide approximately 2,000 Town of Huntington residents an opportunity to receive a free onsite Rapid Results Antigen COVID-19 test. Onsite testing is available now to pre-registered residents. Apply at huntingtonny.gov/valuedrugscovid19testing to receive a voucher for a free test. Once approved, residents can schedule their appointment with Value Drugs. Tests will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Huntington CDA Chairman Ed Smyth stated, “Thanks to our remaining 2020 CARES Act funding, the Town CDA is now able to distribute 10,080 at-home test kits and administer 2,000 free rapid tests to give Huntington families peace of mind that it is safe to gather and visit with at-risk family members.”
“I’m pleased to see our Community Development Agency’s CARES Act grant funding being directed to address the continuing need and demand for testing and hope our residents will take advantage of the opportunities to either obtain free test kits at Manor Field Park, or to get free testing at Value Drugs in Greenlawn,” said CDA member Joan Cergol.
“I'm very proud of the effort of our CDA to get these important Home Tests in the hands of the community. The only way to keep fighting Covid is stay focused and not take our foot off the pedal,” said CDA member Sal Ferro.
“Due to the recent spike in coronavirus cases, and with the demand of test kits outpacing the supply, the Town of Huntington and the Community Development Agency felt it was imperative that we address the issue,” said Leah M. Jefferson, Director of the Community Development Agency. “The Town has faced enough difficulties during the pandemic, and we are grateful for the generosity of Value Drugs which has allowed us to meet the demand for rapid testing, and ultimately keep our community safer.”
In September 2020, the Town of Huntington was awarded funding in the amount of $1,869,925 from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to prepare for, respond to, and prevent the spread of coronavirus. This funding was made available through the Community Development Block Grant- Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) program. To date, this funding has been made available to businesses and individuals in the community who have been directly impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic, and to those community agencies that provide direct assistance to the residents of Huntington.
At their February Community Development Agency meeting, the CDA Board authorized the distribution of 10,080 COVID-19 over-the-counter rapid tests to residents of the Town of Huntington purchased with $151,200 in CDBG-CV funds awarded in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same meeting, the CDA Board also approved the execution of a contract with Value Drugs for the purpose of administering rapid COVID-19 tests to the residents of the Town of Huntington onsite at the Value Drugs at 106 Broadway in Greenlawn.