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Jordan calls for immediate COVID-19 testing for military members entering NY
Jul 08, 2020 2:15 pm
State Senator Daphne Jordan is calling on Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to provide expedited COVID-19 testing for returning members of the U.S. military immediately upon their arrival in New York. Jordan's request comes in response to Cuomo's Executive Order 205 that requires travelers entering the New York from one of 19 designated states to be quarantined for 14 days. According to Jordan's press release, her office was contacted by Columbia County Director of Veteran's Services Gary Flaherty, seeking help in obtaining a waiver from the order for a service member stationed in Texas looking to return home to attend a family funeral. The waiver request was ultimately denied. Jordan argues that expedited COVID-19 testing for military members would prevent a recurrence of that situation in the future. She is advocating for the state to pay for the tests, as well. “The men and women of our military are true heroes who make incredible sacrifices to protect our liberty and defend our nation. Upon their return from training or deployment in another state, New York State must take every possible step to ensure that our military members can return to their families as expeditiously and safely as possible...," Jordan said in a statement.