Coronavirus Westport: 45 Receive Drive-Thru Tests On Tuesday

WESTPORT, CT — At total of 45 Westport and Weston residents underwent coronavirus (COVID-19) test collection on Tuesday in the parking lot at the Bedford Middle School, as part of the community's drive-thru initiative, health officials announced. The testing operation was conducted by Murphy Medical, with assistance from volunteers from the Westport police and fire departments, Emergency Medical Service and the Board of Education.

"Today’s drive-thru testing was met with a few challenges," said Westport Weston Health District Director Mark Cooper on the district's website. "Unfortunately, due to the shortage of swabs, some scheduled to test this morning had to be rescheduled. Those unable to test today were directed by Murphy Medical staff to alternate testing locations. We will regroup, make some adjustments, and plan to restart our Westport Weston drive-thru testing site on Tuesday, March 31st at 8:30 am, weather and equipment availability permitting."

Officials from both the health district and Murphy Medical are working to obtain additional testing swabs, according to Cooper.

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As of Monday, Connecticut had 415 confirmed COVID-19 cases, and 10 deaths, according to state officials. In Fairfield County, six people had died as of Monday, and 270 people had contracted the virus.

In Westport on Monday, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 was 74, state officials said, though an article in The New York Times about "Party Zero," where a lot of infections started, pegged the number of cases at 85.

From Cooper's announcement:

Appointments and required prescriptions can be obtained by filling out forms for Murphy Medical at www.coronatestct.com.

If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, you are urged to call your physician/local health provider. Testing is available by appointment only at hospitals around the state including Norwalk, Stamford and Greenwich Hospitals. To obtain an appointment at any of these locations, you will need a prescription from your physician/health care provider. Visit the hospital websites or call their hotlines for more information.