NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines stating that most asymptomatic people who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 do not need to get tested — a policy Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday called "political propaganda."
The revised CDC guidelines state that an individual who has been in "close contact" with a person with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes, but doesn't have any symptoms, does "not necessarily need a test," unless they are a "vulnerable individual," or their health care provider recommends one.
Cuomo blasted the Aug. 24 revision in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday, calling it nonsensical, "from a health point of view." The CDC previously stated that testing was "recommended for all close contacts" of anyone who tested positive for COVID-19, whether or not they had symptoms.
"The only plausible rationale is they want fewer people taking tests, because as the president has said, 'If we don't take tests, you won't know that people are COVID positive, and the number of COVID positive people will come down,'" he said.
"That is his policy of 'deny the problem.' If you don't take your temperature, you won't know you have a fever," he added. "Yes, that is true. But it totally violates public health standards and rationale, and just fosters his failed policy of denial."
President Donald Trump, the governor maintained, "now has CDC carrying forward his political agenda."
"The history books are going to record this. Shame on the people in the CDC," he said. "These will be indefensible actions in the light of history."
"We're not going to follow the CDC guidance," he added. "I consider it political propaganda."
1010 WINS has reached out to the CDC for comment on the governor's remarks.
Earlier on in Wednesday's conference call, Cuomo reported "continued good news" for New York state residents on the COVID-19 front. Of the 71,189 COVID-19 test results that came back on Tuesday, 566, or 0.79 percent, were positive, marking the 19th straight day the state's positivity rate has been below 1 percent, he said.
As of Tuesday, 492 people in the state were hospitalized with COVID-19, 54 of whom were on ventilators, he said. The state also reported three new COVID-19 deaths.
"The situation was good all across the state," Cuomo said, but noted that Western New York's positivity rate currently stands at 1.4 percent, which raises a "caution flag."
"It's better than it was, but not where it should be," he said. "So we're focusing on Western New York, and we'll continue to do that."
