Hartford to distribute 8K test kits despite state delay

HARTFORD — The city of Hartford will distribute about 8,000 free at-home rapid COVID-19 testing kits at several locations across the city beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday, officials announced Wednesday night.

The kits, purchased by the city, are separate from the more than 15,000 Hartford expected to receive from the state. Those state kits are part of a shipment of millions more that was stuck on the West Coast in a shipping and distribution bottleneck as of Wednesday night, state officials said.

Hartford’s ability to move forward with its planned distribution operation comes as a boost to residents, as COVID-19 cases reach record highs and demand for testing intensifies.

Maly Rosado, city council president, said the announcement is “great news for Hartford.”

“With the rise of the omicron variant, demand for testing has skyrocketed,” Rosado said in a statement.

“These at-home kits are easy to use and will break down barriers to testing, helping give our residents peace of mind.”

Kits will be available at the Hartford Public Library downtown as well as multiple library branches, as well as at select community recreation centers and a community testing location at Albany Avenue and Woodland Street.

Hartford residents much show proof of residence through a state or municipal ID, or a recent piece of mail with another photo ID. Each adult is eligible to receive one kit, which each contain two tests.

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin urged people to only seek out the kits if they have reason to believe they’ve been exposed, or are in contact with someone who is particularly vulnerable.

Bronin also asked those who can afford to purchase the rapid tests at the store to do so, and leave the free tests for those most in need.

“It is important to distribute these kits quickly to those who need them, and it’s important to ensure that they’re distributed in an equitable and accessible way,” he said.

The state’s announcement Wednesday that the shipment of millions of testing kits would be delayed sent municipal officials scrambling late into the evening as they debated whether to postpone or cancel their distribution plans, which had been meticulously scheduled and widely promoted.

The delay also comes during a surge in demand for testing, driven largely by highly transmissible omicron variant. The state reported 7,520 cases on Wednesday — the most of any single day during the pandemic.

At some PCR testing sites, residents are facing hours-long lines. Hundreds of cars packed into a pair of commuter lots in downtown Bristol Tuesday afternoon, before a gun threat from a frustrated driver prompted officials to close the site early.

Sema4, the Stamford-based laboratory once in charge of 23 testing sites across Connecticut, pulled out of its contract with the state in December following a controversy involving investments made by a firm founded by Annie Lamont.

While people generally need to show negative PCR tests in order to clear protocols set up by public schools and many workplaces, demand for the rapid at-home tests have surged during the winter holiday period.

In Hartford, kits will be distributed by library staff and Community Emergency Response Team volunteers at the library locations, and by Hartford Health and Human Services staff at the testing sites.

“With the Omicron variant of the COVID virus so prevalent these days, I am glad that we’re able to get these tests out to our community quickly and into the hands of Hartford residents,” said Nick Lebron, city council member and chair of the Health and Human Services Committee.

The location and times for Hartford’s sites Thursday are listed below:

Hartford Public Library, Downtown Branch (500 Main St, Hartford): 10 a.m. — 5:30 p.m.

Hartford Public Library, Camp Field Branch (30 Campfield Ave, Hartford): 10 a.m. — 5:30 p.m.

Hartford Public Library, Albany Avenue Branch (1250 Albany Ave, Hartford): 10 a.m. — 5:30 p.m.

CVS Arroyo Center testing clinic (30 Pope Park Dr., Hartford): 10 a.m. — 1 p.m.

Albany and Woodland testing clinic (1161 Albany Ave, Hartford): 2 p.m. — 6 p.m.

Parker Memorial Center (2621 Main Street, Hartford): 10 a.m. — 4 p.m.

Metzner Center (680 Franklin Ave, Hartford): 10 a.m. — 4 p.m.