12 New Coronavirus Testing Sites to Open In CT: Here's Where

CONNECTICUT — A dozen new coronavirus test sites will soon open at select CVS Pharmacy drive-thru locations throughout Connecticut and utilize self-swab tests for individuals meeting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria, in addition to age guidelines.

According to information from the office of Gov. Ned Lamont, patients must register in advance at CVS.com beginning Friday, May 15, to schedule an appointment. Patients will be required to stay in their cars and directed to the pharmacy drive-thru window, where they will be provided with a test kit and given instructions.

A CVS Pharmacy team member will observe the self-swab process to ensure it is done properly. Tests will be sent to an independent, third-party lab for processing, and the results will be available in approximately three days. Testing will not take place inside any retail locations.

The new CVS testing sites in Connecticut include:

• 7 Durant Ave., Bethel
• 905 South Main St., Cheshire
• 3514 Main St., Coventry
• 54 East High St., East Hampton
• 875 Enfield St., Enfield
• 2639 Main St., Glastonbury
• 1057 Boston Post Rd., Guilford
• 479 Blue Hills Ave., Hartford
• 150 Washington St., Hartford
• 323 Cromwell Ave., Rocky Hill
• 525 Buckland St., South Windsor
• 1 Hawley Lane, Stratford

"While the large-scale test sites we’ve been operating since early April have proven successful, this new approach allows us to utilize our presence in communities across the country and bring testing closer to home," said Larry J. Merlo, president and CEO of CVS Health. "Our frontline employees will continue to play a critical role in the testing process, with members of their communities directly benefiting from their dedication and selflessness."

"Increasing the amount of testing that’s being done and expanding the accessibility of that testing to all communities is a critical component of our efforts to keep Connecticut safe and healthy," Lamont said. "I am grateful to our partners at CVS Health for their commitment to expanding testing in Connecticut. Public-private partnerships like this will only strengthen our state in the fight against COVID-19."

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Other existing testing sites in CT

Lamont announced in April that the state formed a partnership with CVS Health which allowed for the first rapid testing site at the former Gateway Community College campus at Long Wharf in New Haven. The testing is free.

In addition to the DPH State Laboratory, there are 15 alternative locations throughout Connecticut that are offering drive-through testing. They include:

• Bridgeport Hospital
• Bristol Hospital
• Charlotte Hungerford Hospital (Torrington)
• Danbury Hospital
• Greenwich Hospital
• Hartford Hospital
• Johnson Memorial Hospital (Stafford Springs)
• Lawrence Memorial Hospital (New London)
• Manchester Memorial Hospital
• Mid-State Medical Center (Meriden)
• Stamford Hospital
• Saint Francis Hospital (Hartford)
• Saint Mary’s Hospital (Waterbury)
• Waterbury Hospital
• Yale-New Haven Hospital

Why testing is so important?

Lamont announced this week that the state is on track to significantly ramp up its testing capacity in the coming weeks and will likely meet the goal of 42,000 tests per week by May 20, which is the date for the first phase of Connecticut’s reopening plan.

The first phase includes: restaurants (outdoor only), offices though working from home is still encouraged, hair salons and barbershops and yes blow dryers are allowed now, retail stores including malls, and outdoor museums and zoos.

A couple of weeks ago there were about 18,000 administered tests per week and the state is currently performing around 29,000 tests per week. Lamont said he expects that more than 100,000 tests per week will be administered by the end of June. As of now Connecticut has performed about 145,000 tests since the pandemic began.

"This is going to give you the confidence that we have this virus more or less under control, at least we can see what is going on there … testing is a bridge to the vaccine," he said.

The significant ramp-up came from the state working with Yale New Haven Health and Jackson Laboratory.

YNNH will be able to perform 5,000 tests per day by the end of May and expects to perform 10,000 tests per day in June and 20,000 per day later in the summer.

YNNH is also conducting several studies into a potential saliva coronavirus test and hopes to conduct a trial by the summer to prove whether the saliva test is as reliable as the nasal swab test in detecting the virus.

Jackson Labs is looking to scale up from 550 tests per day to 20,000 tests per day by early July.

Jackson Labs Executive Vice President Auro Nair said the lab will turn around test results within 24 hours of receiving a sample.

Patch editor Rich Scinto contributed to this story.