The Town of Mansfield is hosting free COVID-19 testing at Betsy Paterson Square in Downtown Storrs to residents and commuter students this week.
Hosted by Eastern Highlands Health District (EHHD), the local public department for the town of Mansfield, testing commenced yesterday and will begin again tomorrow.
According to Robert Miller, the local Director of Public Health for EHHD, the initiative to provide free testing is in response to an incline of cases in the Downtown Storrs area.
“The object of this event is to respond to a cluster of six cases which is concerning because this is a densely populated area in town.”
“The object of this event is to respond to a cluster of six cases which is concerning because this is a densely populated area in town,” said Miller. “In an effort to suppress any further spread, we’re making testing available to all the residents of the downtown area surrounding Mansfield.”
The University of Connecticut has had a number of COVID-19 positive cases, with residents only able to request a test if they have come in contact with someone who has tested positive or have any COVID-19 symptoms.
Unlike UConn, both residents and students in the Mansfield area are able to request a test even if they have not experienced symptoms or had recent contact with a positive case.
“Our target audience is the Storrs downtown residents, but is open to anybody in the Mansfield area, including the businesses,” said Miller.
According to Miller, the type of COVID-19 test being admitted is known as a PCR or nasopharyngeal specimen collection and patients should receive test results within about two days by phone.
If you would like to get tested, EHHD requests that you visit their website to help provide required demographic information before your test and to bring proper identification as well.
There will be testing available this Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit the EHHD website at http://www.ehhd.org.