New health district to offer rapid COVID-19 tests to critical workers
NEW MILFORD — First responders and critical town employees in the newly formed Housatonic Valley Health District soon can receive free rapid PCR COVID-19 tests, reducing for many a stressful testing burden.
For essential and critical workers who are required to show a negative PCR test to get back to work, finding a test and getting the results in less than five days has been a challenge. This new plan aims to give people the tests and results they need in 30 minutes or less.
On Feb. 1, Lisa Morrissey, incoming director of the new
health district, hopes to have about 350 PCR tests available, “with a steady supply coming in after that.” She sent a letter on Jan. 14 to the health district’s first selectmen and mayor letting them know about the plan.
“This will decrease the amount of time spent waiting for test results, provide peace of mind to your employees and return your critical workforce back to work sooner,” the letter reads.
Tests will be administered starting Feb. 1 in the health districts offices in New Milford and Southbury.
New Milford Mayor Pete Bass said the town is still seeing “tremendous demand” at its testing site. Morrissey added relief is available with the at-home antigen testing. However, some employers require proof of negative PCR test, rather than antigen tests, to return to work. This can vary by employer and town.
“I think this will be a really good tool in our toolbox — especially for our critical workers and our first responders,” Bass said, citing the tests and quicker results.
New Milford plans to make this testing available to first responders and critical town employees — police, fire and public works teams who are essential to road safety and maintenance during the winter. Non-critical employees
are set up to work from home if necessary and would not get this testing, Bass explained.
Testing details
The tests will be free for qualifying workers, and the town will pay the bill.
Towns who contract with the health district for the service will be charged $100 per test, but Morrissey said most leaders have told her they plan to use American Rescue Plan Act funds to cover the cost. New Milford has not made a final decision on funding, but may use its COVID fund that was created with a prior budget surplus.
At least three towns outside the health district have asked to get in on the deal, Morrissey said. The cost for non-member towns who sign a testing contract after Feb. 28 will increase to $135. She could not release the names of the other towns because details are
still being finalized.
The health department is not profiting from the tests, Morrissey said. The $100 cost covers the test, staffing, equipment and the reagent solution. Private market rapid PCR options weren’t going to be financially sustainable for towns, she said.
“Our piece here is we just can’t run in the red,” Morrissey said.
By March, Morrissey hopes to offer the test to the general public.
The major limiting factor in getting tests for everyone in February was supply of the reagent, which is essential for testing, according to McKesson, who provides the test.
“We just don’t think that we’ll be able to get the reagent to keep up with the demand,” Morrissey said of offering rapid PCR tests to everyone at the moment.
When these tests become available to residents, the health district will bill residents’
health insurance companies which Morrissey called “a whole other logistical piece.”
“We don’t want to saddle people with additional costs,” she said.
Community health care
Since Morrissey took over as New Milford’s health director a year ago, the town has become a regional hub for COVID-19 vaccinations and testing, thanks to expanded offerings and efforts to obtain special licenses allowing for additional services. Formation of the new health district is an example of the expanding health care in New Milford.
The new health district is expected to incorporate Feb. 1, the same date the testing is set to begin. One of the main goals of forming a health district from smaller local health departments was to pool resources and staffing to create a stronger
health base for towns. Morrissey has said “community health” does not stop at a town’s border.
This new rapid PCR testing option for critical workers will be the district’s first big health initiative.
“This is one shining example of things we can do as we work together,” Bass said. “This is just the start some of the other things Lisa [Morrissey] and the district are thinking about.”
After two years of a pandemic, towns have looked for ways to address the virus after everyone was caught by December’s massive surge in cases.
“Before we were kind of in the triage stage where we didn’t know much about the disease. We were just trying to do what we could as we learned from it,” Bass said. “We have to know that this is going to be here, and now we have to manage through it.”