As COVID-19 cases increase across the state – including Fulton and Montgomery counties – Fulton-Montgomery Community College stands ready to expand its COVID-19 testing operations.

All it takes for the college to re-host a high-volume, state proving site is Governor Kathy Hochul’s approval to send test kits and workers, like that Deputy Angelo Santabarbara, D-Rotterdam. He, along with Rep. Robert Smullen, R, C, I, SAM-Meco, has campaigned with the governor to develop the Johnstown test site into a full-fledged community test site.

Santabarbara and Smullen said they were alerted by Fulton and Montgomery Counties of the need for further community testing Healthcare Facilities – St. Mary’s Healthcare and Nathan Littauer overwhelmed by the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.

“St. Mary’s and Nathan Littauer said the surge has started to strain their ability to help and heal patients in need of their care, “said Smullen.

The average positive test rate in Fulton County for the past week was 14.4%. according to the New York State Department of Health Data. In Montgomery County the rate was 13%. Nationwide, 348,911 tests on Jan. 4 resulted in 77,859 positive cases, or approximately 22.31% positive.

Santabarbara said the college’s state community testing facility can meet the needs of rural residents who may be elderly and / or who live in remote locations where winter weather can affect their ability to travel.

“Rural areas are often overlooked when it comes to resources and in this case we are talking about healthcare,” he said. “What we are seeing now is that there are very limited resources or very long travel times in these rural communities when it comes to resources with vaccination sites and testing sites.”

Daniel Fogarty, FMCC director of external partnerships and applied learning, said the college has never stopped testing operations since opening as a site in November 2020. During that time, 7,714 tests were taken at the college, he said. But the college has shut down operations to mainly focus on the roughly 2,000 students and staff, he said. Fogarty said the college is now ready to meet the growing needs of the community.

“We are letting the state and MPs know that the campus and college are very open to any partnerships they deem necessary,” Fogarty said.

Fogarty said the college, located on State Highway 67 in Johnstown, has relocated its testing site multiple times as needed – from the gym to larger classrooms to the public safety bureau, which is currently testing. He said the college has a plan that includes public safety officers equipped to handle crowds to make its testing procedures very easy to customize.

“We can do it right away. As soon as we have that need, we can deliver, ”said Fogarty. “One advantage for the campus is that we have the space.”

Smullen said the resources needed to run the college on trial were urgently needed.

“The COVID-19 pandemic brings rapidly changing circumstances that we must proactively address,” he said. “In view of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, we have to build up our test capacities quickly so that people can continue to work and our children can go to school. I hope the governor will work as soon as possible to get a test site up and running in our community. “

The governor, who delivered her address on the state on Wednesday, has not yet responded to the question and her office has not responded to a request for comment made on Wednesday. Smullen and Santabarbara hope the resource request will be answered soon.

“The hint is that they want to provide resources for rural communities. But timing is everything, ”said Santabarbara. “I want the governor’s office to say, ‘We want to deploy resources in rural communities,’ but the question is when.”

Richard Hyde, a spokesman for St. Mary’s, said the health facility was happy to have the bipartisan lobbying support behind the state request for the community testing site.

“It’s an amazing act of collaboration by our New York Reps Santabarbara and Reps Smullen, Fulton and Montgomery County Department of Public Health, and the two leading health organizations, Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home and St. Mary’s Healthcare, to keep government support in shape a state COVID-19 test site, “Hyde said in an email.

Fogarty said the FMCC is ready to do its part, and it is one facet of a community college.

“We are the community college,” he said. “We usually come forward to help the community whenever we can. And that is definitely something that we can create with our space and sufficient parking spaces. “

Andrew Waite can be contacted at waite@dailygazette.net and at 518-417-9338. Follow him on Twitter @UpstateWaite.