Pop-Up Coronavirus Testing Returns To Hamden's Community Center

Press release from the Town of Hamden:

Aug. 18, 2020

Mayor Curt Balzano Leng is pleased to announce that the partnership between the Town of Hamden, Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center (CSHHC), and Quinnipiack Valley Health District will offer a pop-up COVID-19 testing location at the Keefe Community Center on Thursday, August 20th from 11:00am to 3:00pm. Walk-up testing will take place in the parking lot on the George Street side of the building. The Keefe Community Center is located at 11 Pine Street. This date follows several busy days of testing over the summer at both Hamden High School and the Keefe Community Center.

Testing is free of charge and is made possible through funding from the State of Connecticut Department of Social Services. Services are offered on a first come/first serve basis; no appointment or physician order is required. Testing will be available to all members of the community age 3 months and older, including people who do not have symptoms of COVID-19. The testing is walk-up, so please park and walk to the registration tent.

Commenting, Mayor Leng said, “We are extremely pleased to partner with CSHHC to assist and serve our Hamden residents in need of additional COVID-19 testing. Hamden is committed to working with CSHHC and QVHD to expand testing opportunities to other locations throughout Hamden, including congregate living sites and other heavily populated sections of town. We take these actions in accordance with the recommendations of the CDC and State Health Experts, as we work to safely re-open our communities and protect against further spread of the COVID-19 outbreak.”

“Our partnership with the town, the health district and the state is another example of the collaborative approach necessary to expand health care services to reach all the people of our communities, especially when they need them the most,” said Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center CEO Michael Taylor. “We are proud and encouraged by the way our community leaders are pulling together during this health crisis."

The health center is encouraging residents to continue taking steps to prevent and slow the spread of the virus. It recommends the following:

• Keep a 6-foot distance from others when you are out.
• Wear a mask if you cannot avoid close contact with other people.
• Wash your hands often for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with your sleeve or a tissue and throw it in the trash.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Routinely clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects.
• Contact your health care provider if you experience any symptoms of COVID-19, including fever, sore throat, cough or shortness of breath, headaches, loss of smell or taste and diarrhea.

This press release was produced by the Town of Hamden. The views expressed here are the author's own.