Tolland Officials Outline Virus Test Distribution

TOLLAND, CT — Town officials have announced a plan to distribute coronavirus Self-Test At-Home rapid test kits provided by the State of Connecticut for Tolland residents.

If the shipments arrive in time, the distribution will be Thursday.

Fire Chief John Little released a statement late Thursday:

"Tolland Emergency Management and Town Officials while participating in a conference call with State Officials, have learned that the COVID-19 At-Home self-test kits scheduled to be distributed tomorrow December 30th, have not yet been received by the State. The State will continue to track the movement of Connecticut’s supply. State Officials are hopeful the shipment will arrive overnight or early tomorrow morning. State Officials will work as swiftly as possible upon the arrival to disperse kits to each Town.

"We ask for the public’s patience as this delay may affect the distribution of the COVID-19 At-Home self-test kits scheduled for tomorrow evening. Please do not proceed to the distribution site until you have received confirmation from Tolland Officials of when our distribution point will be opened to residents.
We will continue to keep resident’s informed as we learn more about this ongoing situation."

If the shipments do arrive in time, here is the format:

Guidelines:

• Proof of Residency is required (such as a driver’s license or other government issued photo identification)

• Town officials are encouraging residents who have been exposed to the virus, have attended a large gathering, plan to travel, or are experiencing cold-like symptoms, to pick up a self-test.

• Residents do not need to report results to public health authorities, but they should tell close contacts of a positive test. In addition, if a child who attends daycare or school tests positive, parents should inform the institution.

• A maximum of two kits per household will be distributed

Distribution:

• Thursday, Dec 30, from 5 to 8 p.m or until supplies are depleted

• Location: Tolland High School, 1 Eagle Hill

• Masks are required while interacting with staff

• Residents should place a photo ID on the dashboard

Upon arrival at the High School residents are asked to follow the signs/cones of the traffic pattern and have their photo identification ready. Tolland Emergency Management personnel, along with Tolland Resident Troopers will oversee the distribution site supported by Tolland Fire Department's Fire Police Unit and Tolland's CERT Team.

Tolland, along with all the Towns of Connecticut were only supplied with a limited number of kits, not enough for all the residents. Each test kit contains 2 test cards and is meant for one person. If your first test is negative, you will use the second test 24-to-48 hours later, per manufacturer’s instructions. The kits will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis.

Additional Information from the State of Connecticut

In addition to those kits designated for the public, the State of Connecticut has purchased another one-million iHealth kits – that will be distributed to K-12 schools statewide. Distribution of those kits, which will also include a supply of N95 masks, will begin in January 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. Details on the distribution of tests for schools should be announced in early January. The total cost of the tests has been funded through federal funds.

“Connecticut is currently experiencing another surge in COVID-19 cases that is being driven mostly by the highly transmissible Omicron variant,” Governor Lamont said. “As a result, the demand for tests has outpaced the supply of testing available through our statewide network of about 400 sites. 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.”

More information on the iHealth antigen home test kits is available at ihealthlabs.com.

“Residents who have not been vaccinated should get their COVID-19 vaccine now and can do so by visiting ct.gov/covidvaccine,” Commissioner Juthani said. “For all vaccinated people 16 and older that are eligible for a booster, please get one as soon as possible. For all school-age children 5 and older that are not vaccinated yet, please use this school break to get vaccinated. Vaccination saves lives and keeps people who get COVID out of the hospital.”

The Connecticut Department of Public Health is in the process of adding 7 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 visiting 211CT.org. Local residents can also check the Eastern Highlands Health District website for testing and vaccine locations at http://www.ehhd.org/