BRIDGEPORT TAKES ON CORONAVIRUS SURGE
“We have the community well-covered.” As cases rise, COVID-19 testing starts at Seaside Park
BRIDGEP ORT — As the number of cumulative coronavir us cases here approaches 12 ,000, the Connecticut Department of Public Health has opened a new drive-thr u testing site at Seaside Park with an emphasis on convenience.
“The Bridgeport location is one of three ... in partnership with CIC Health, a testing firm out of Cambridge, Mass.,” said Maura Fitzgerald, a health department spokeswoman. The other locations are the Xfinity Center in Hartford and the former Gateway Community College campus in New Haven.
The sites were “softlaunched” over the past few days with no publicity “to work out any logistical kinks,” Fitzgerald added.
“But they are fully up and r unning,” she said.
Located on a bus line, Seaside’s testing area is open 8 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. Monday through
Friday and noon to 5 p.m. weekends. Pre-registration is required and can be done on site or at cic-health.com/individuals.
Results are available “within 36 hours or less,” Fitzgerald said.
“The locations, hours and accessibility are all designed to provide a greater number of
people’s access to testing. We’re hoping that teachers, shift workers and others who are not typically free during the regular work day will be able to get tested at these locations,” Fitzgerald said.
She also said that “priority access” will be available under certain circumstances: “For
example, if there were concerns of an outbreak at a firehouse, firefighters and staff at that location would be able to go to one of these sites.”
Mayor Joe Ga ni min a statement issued later Monday urged the public to“take advantage of this opportunity that is well-designed to break down any barriers that exist between you and theo pp ort unity to get tested to keep yourself and your family protected against the virus .”
In mid-December, Bridgeport, Connecticut’ s largest city, surpassed 10,000 CO
V ID -19 cases—the most of any community—since the global pandemics truck Connec ti cut in mid-March. And as of Monday, the state’ s coron a virus database had
Bridge port at 11,819 cases, still the highest of any other municipality.
Also since mid-December, there have been an additional 26 C OVID-19-related fatali ties in Bridge port, bringing the 10- month total here to
219. Water bury has had the most deaths during the pande mic —268, with Stamford second at 242 and Hartford nearly tied with Bridge port at 220 fatalities.
Despite corona virus’ conti nu ed grip on the city, there has been little new inform a
ti on coming directly from Ganim. In contrast, Ganim for several weeks last spring appeared live almost daily on Facebook to brief the public on the rising case numbers and efforts to stop the spread.
Health Director Lisa M orr is seyw as diagnosed with C OVID -19 in early December. In a brief video the city re
leased over the weekend, Morris se yd is cussed efforts to distribute the newly approved vaccines.
Morris sey said the health department as well as the city’ s hospital’ s and clinics are“all approved to do COV ID -19 vaccinations. We have the community wellcovered .”
She said“long-term care
residents” have received their first doses along with first responders and healthcare workers, but provided no additional details.
“We’ re really encouraged by how well and smoothly it’ s been going ,” she concluded.
For a full list of corona virust es ting locations in
Bridge port, visit bridgeport ct. gov/c ovid 19 testing.