Towns announce COVID test distributions after kits arrive in CT

Towns have started rescheduling distributions of at-home COVID tests for the weekend, after a previous purchase order for tests fell through, prompting cancellations across the state.

Monroe was among the first to announce the new distribution. It comes a day after Connecticut received a shipment of 426,000 athome COVID tests. Towns could start getting their allotment beginning Friday night.

Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons also announced Saturday that supplies would be distributed at noon on Sunday at Cummings Park, Kosciuszko Park and Scalzi Park. The entrance for Cummings Park will be Shippan Avenue northbound only, and for Scalzi Park the only entrance is from Bridge Street eastbound.

“This first distribution will include 20,000 tests designated for Stamford residents,” Simmons said.

Proof of residency is required, and there is a limit of two tests per household.

Trumbull is only giving out testing kits to those registered and limiting it to one kit per household. The event will be Sunday morning at Unity Park. People must be on the reservation list and have proof of residency and can arrive between 9 a.m. and noon.

“If you reserved a kit, we have one for you and you do not need to arrive right at 9 a.m.,” First Selectman Vicki Tesoro said Saturday. “We ask for your patience and understanding through the distribution process. We anticipate extended wait times.”

She said the town received fewer kits than expected and doesn’t have any extra kits available.

Fairfield is set to receive about 9,200 kits on Saturday and has scheduled distribution for Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m., or until supplies last. Tests and masks will be limited to four each per household.

Fairfield is receiving FlowFlex kits, each containing a single test. The amount of tests the town is receiving is less than it was previously promised earlier this week where the 7,700 or so kits each had two tests.

The town will distribute test kits at Roger Ludlowe Middle School, with all traffic entering at 440 Mill Plain Road, adjacent to Sturges Park, First Selectwoman Brenda L. Kupchick announced Saturday.

Residents must enter the site from Mill Plain Road. The Fairfield Police Department will be managing traffic and Kupchick is asking that people follow the directional signs and cones to keep the flow of traffic moving quickly.

Test kits will be limited to Fairfield residents who are symptomatic or have a known exposure to someone who tested positive. A proof of residency using a driver’s license or valid 2021 Fairfield beach or dump sticker is required.

Brookfield will distribute tests on Sunday as well in the Town Hall parking lot from noon to 1 p.m. There will be 760 tests available from the 1,260 the town received.

The town is distributing 250 tests to essential personnel and 250 to schools as the school test shipment has yet to arrive in the state.

“Each household may have two boxes if necessary, but if you only need one box please only take one in order for us to try to maximize our small allocation. There are two COVID tests per box,” Brookfield’s announcement read.

The town of New Fairfield will be distributing their allocation of tests on Sunday in front of the Middle School from 1 to 4 p.m., or until all tests are distributed.

New Fairfield town officials ask residents to enter the school from the driveway closest to Peerless Equipment, and exit from the new west side driveway, as traffic will be one way. Proof of New Fairfield residency will be required, and test kits will be limited to two per household.

Danbury Mayor Dean Esposito and the city’s Department of Health and Human Services announced Danbury residents could pick up their testing supplies at the Western Connecticut State University Westside Campus at 43 Lake Avenue Extension on Sunday.

The tests will be given out to Danbury residents on a first come, first serve basis, and supplies are limited to one test kit per vehicle.

Bethel announced residents would be able to pick up COVID tests and N95 masks at 11 a.m. Sunday at the Bethel High School “junior parking lot,” directly across Whittlesey Drive from DeSantis Stadium. Town officials ask residents to use only the Plumtrees Road entrance, wear a mask when picking up the test kit, and to not line up early.

“Please be aware that the initial quantities are very limited. We received about half the number of test kits than were originally expected,” the announcement read, indicating town is expecting more shipments soon.

Due to the limited quantity, Bethel is prioritizing its first distribution to residents who work directly with the public, are having COVID symptoms or had a known exposure to COVID-19. There will be a limit of one test kit per household.

Initially, the state had promised the tests to towns and cities for distribution to residents as early as Wednesday, but the timetable was pushed back to Thursday and then canceled. Municipalities had scheduled local distributions on Thursday and Friday, which also had to be canceled.

The new tests are also expected to cost more than the first order. The exact cost was not immediately revealed, although the administration told Hearst Connecticut Media that the tests cost significantly more than the $6.18 per test of the initial plan, which totaled $18.5 million.

Connecticut had planned to distribute 3 million athome tests and 6 million N95 masks as part of its effort to stop the spread COVID amid a rise in cases.

When asked whether the state planned to sue the distributor, Lamont said at a Friday news conference in New Britain that was unlikely because he’d rather focus on securing and distributing tests.

The state was sent photos of ill-fated shipment of iHealth tests on a plane but the tests never came.

“We know that a plane didn’t take off or it didn’t take off and come to Connecticut as was contracted via our purchase order,” Lamont said Friday.

Major General Francis J. Evon, of the Connecticut National Guard, explained the process briefly at the press conference, stating that tests, masks, sanitizer and any other inventory will go to regional pods or points of distribution for the five regions in the state. Once at the pod, items will be distributed to municipalities.