As winter looms, tests move indoors
Former dollar store to become COVID-19 testing facility
BRIDGEPORT — The conversion of a former dollar store into an indoor COVID-19 testing facility “will be a game changer” in detecting outbreaks, said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.
If all goes as planned and the city gives it clearance, the former Dollar Star store at 986 Fairfield Ave. will be renovated into Southwest Community Health Center’s first indoor COVID-19 testing facility next week.
“Especially with the winter months coming, we need to be testing kids in school more than we are today to detect outbreaks really early,” Murphy said
The senator’s words were seemingly prophetic as infections were reported Tuesday in Derby, Fairfield and Weston schools. After COVID-positive cases last week, Ansonia closed three classrooms for two weeks and Shelton shuttered its high and intermediate schools.
Murphy said the recent positive tests of President Donald Trump, U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, Derby
Mayor Richard Dziekan and Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary are “a reminder no one is immune.”
So if all goes as planned, Mollie Melbourne, president and chief executive officer of Southwest Community Health Center, said the 12,540-square-foot interior of the Dollar Star will become an indoor testing facility as soon as next Wednesday. She said the space allows for social distancing for clients who are not experiencing symptoms as well as an isolated area to test those experiencing symptoms.
“We will definitely be there every Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. to start,” Melbourne said. “We will expand into other days and times as more members of the community seek testing.”
Melbourne said indoor testing is crucial for colder, wetter days. Tuesday’s rain forced Southwest to suspend their outside testing after handling only about 30 clients.
Southwest is offering free testing Wednesday in their parking lot at 968 Fairfield Ave. from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and Thursday at the University of Bridgeport’s Arnold Bernhard Center, 84 Iranistan Ave., from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. There is also free testing at the 510 Clinton Ave. site through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
“Anyone can participate,” said Carmen Rivera-Torres, Southwest’s head nurse. “We’ve had people from Norwalk, Westport, Stamford, Waterbury — even one from New Jersey who was here visiting.”
Southwest also has long-term plans for the former dollar store.
Once the coronavirus battle is won, the facility will become a Behavioral Health site, Melbourne said.
“We’ll be able to serve thousands of clients with about 20 providers,” she said. “The space is large enough where we can do three individual group sessions for our clients and then convert
those rooms into a large training area for our staff.”
She said the providers will include psychologists, psychiatrists, marriage and family therapists, licensed addiction specialists and more.
“We’ll have a test kitchen where we can do cooking demonstrations, showing people how to prepare foods for a healthy diet,” Melbourne said.
But for the immediate future, 986 Fairfield Ave. will provide indoor testing — something that will be especially important once the clocks roll back and daylight saving time ends, which reduces the amount of daylight hours, the temperatures get colder and snow starts covering the ground.
Murphy said he urges anyone who is experiencing any of the COVID-19 symptoms to get tested.
Anyone experiencing symptoms of a fever of 100 degrees or more, chills, body aches, uncontrolled coughs, shortness of breathe or difficulty breathing, loss of taste or smell, vomiting or
diarrhea should get tested and stay home.
Additionally, the senator said its important for anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 to participate with their local health department in contact tracing. That involves creating a list of places where they have been and who they have been in contact with.
Dr. Dara Richards, Southwest’s chief medical official, said primarily those who have been within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes of a person who has been infected are contacted and urged to get tested.
Derby’s mayor did just that when he found out he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus and as a result of contact tracing for Dziekan’s illness, Derby City Hall will be closed to the public Wednesday.
“I urge anyone who has tested positive to cooperate with authorities and provide a list of contacts,” said Dziekan, who turned over his list to the Naugatuck Valley Health District. “I’m
in reasonably good shape but God forbid someone who has the virus passes it onto a friend or family member who has other pre-existing issues.”
So he urged them to “do the right thing, cooperate and be truthful.”
Dziekan said he feels congested while lying down, has a cough and a slight fever. He is taking over-the-counter medications as recommended by his doctor.
On Oct. 6 Dziekan spent nearly two hours participating in a food distribution at Ansonia’s Nolan Field with several other politicians include Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti, Oxford First Selectman George Temple and State Sen. George Logan and State Rep. Nicole Ditria-Klarides, R-Seymour. Dziekan was wearing a Derby face mask during the event but began feeling ill Friday.
Cassetti, Ditria-Klarides, Logan and Temple said they underwent tests Tuesday that came back negative.
“That’s great news,” Dziekan said. “This is no joke.”