Relief In Sight? CT To Distribute 3 Million COVID-19 Tests

CONNECTICUT — As COVID-19 infections spike throughout the state, and the lines of people queued up for virus testing stretch, some relief may be in sight.

Connecticut health officials announced Monday plans to distribute three million COVID-19 at-home rapid tests and six million N95 masks in Connecticut in an effort to help curb the spread of COVID-19 during this heavy travel and holiday season.

The first allocation will include the distribution of 500,000 iHealth kits – each containing two tests for a total of one million tests – that will be designated for the general public. Distribution of these kits is scheduled to begin on Thursday, and is expected to run through the following week.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health, Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, and Connecticut National Guard will oversee the distribution of the kits, with support from regional and local emergency management teams. This initiative also will include the distribution of N95 masks. State officials stress that details of the distribution of the kits and N95 masks are still being finalized and are subject to change this week.

In addition to those designated for the general public, the state has purchased another one million iHealth kits – each containing two tests for a total of two million tests – that will be distributed to K-12 schools statewide. Distribution of those kits, which will also include a supply of N95 masks, will begin next month and continue through the school year as supplies last. Planning for this initiative is being conducted in partnership with the Connecticut State Department of Education. More details on the distribution of tests for schools will be announced in early January, according to state health officials in a news release.

Lamont said the surge in COVID-19 case is being driven mostly by the highly transmissible omicron variant.

"As a result, the demand for tests has outpaced the supply of testing available through our statewide network of about 400 sites," Lamont said. "The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is likely to be a period of high transmission, and we have to get 2022 off to a good start by helping residents identify COVID-19 quickly and take those steps to isolate appropriately to curb any further spread."

The total cost of the three million tests is approximately $18.5 million and will be funded through federal funds.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has granted emergency use authorization for the iHealth COVID-19 antigen rapid test, which is completed with an anterior nasal swab and is not the deep nasal test. The complete instructions for the at-home rapid test are available on the iHealth packaging in English and Spanish. Results are usually available in 15 minutes.

"There are three simple and effective interventions to fight off the current surge of COVID-19 from the Omicron variant – vaccination, masking, and testing," Connecticut Public Health Commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani said. "We will be distributing two of these – masks and tests – so that our communities can work as quickly as possible to get past this surge."

Juthani urged residents to take only the kits needed for their immediate family, due to their scarcity.

"Per the CDC recommendations, if your self-test yields a positive result, please stay home or isolate for 10 days and wear a mask," Juthani said. "There is no need to obtain a follow up PCR test."

The addition of these at-home tests will immediately expand the number of tests available in Connecticut in a very short period. Last week, about 250,000 tests were reported to DPH.

Less scarce will be the state-provided N95 masks which provide better protection than conventional paper or cloth masks. State health officials are urging residents to mask up both in public spaces and when interacting in close contact with people outside of their household. DPH will be distributing enough N95 masks for any Connecticut resident who wants one, according to Juthani.

House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora on Monday issued the following statement in response to Lamont’s announcement on the distribution of COVID-19 at-home rapid tests:

"I appreciate that the governor has procured these tests, but to make a media announcement like this absent of a concrete plan, particularly as it relates to how they’ll be distributed or even used to keep kids out of quarantine and in their classrooms, will certainly see leaders of cities, towns and school districts wanting more. Leaving local officials scrambling to immediately figure out what steps to take from here seems like a catalyst for confusion, and I really hope the governor and his team give a second thought to offering municipalities much firmer guidance than what was vaguely described during his news conference today."

DPH is in the process of adding seven more community testing sites to its current roster of 23 state-sponsored sites. Information on the approximately 400 COVID-19 testing sites currently operating in Connecticut is available by calling 2-1-1 or online here.

More information on the iHealth antigen home test kits is available online here.