The demand for Covid-19 testing in the state has picked up through the last few weeks.
In response, health care systems and state partners are stepping up and trying to meet needs.
“Many of our testing sites had started to wind down as we thought that this pandemic was waning and then as the Delta wave came through we started setting up sites so that people could access, testing sites," said Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani said Thursday.
United Way of Connecticut runs the state 211 hotline and they say they've received 51,000 inquiries for Covid-19 testing in the last week alone.
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If you’re looking to get tested for the coronavirus, whether you’re vaccinated or not, you can check with your provider, call United Way of Connecticut at 211 or visit www.211ct.org.
If you go online, you'll want to scroll to where it says "Looking for COVID-19 test sites or vaccine clinics?" enter your town or city or zip code, and then click "view testing sites."
"We have seen every week recently between five and seven times the volume of inquiries for testing as we did during the summer," said Lisa Tepper Bates, vice president & CEO of United Way of Connecticut.
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Each day the organization helps patients locate and find their closest testing site and help with questions.
“Hours, regarding insurance information, regarding whether an appointment is required, whether they will test people who are asymptomatic, as well as symptomatic,” Tepper Bates said.
Laurie Wojnarowski lives in Bristol and tells NBC Connecticut she has ran into some problems when trying to get an appointment online.
“There must be a spike because there was no time slot when I needed it to go to CVS," she said.
Some of the factors contributing to the uptick in demand for testing include travel, testing for work and Covid-19 symptoms, according to the state.
“The mandates that are going into effect whether it be in the private sector or by the state could be contributing to the increase in testing," Commissioner Juthani said.
“We started upscaling the number of testing sites that we were providing through the state in various different locations to really combat the delta wave," she added.
Individual health systems may also list testing options on their websites.
Once you’ve been tested, result wait times will vary. Rapid tests will get you more immediate results. A PCR test result will depend on how busy the labs are, but usually takes at least 24 hours and can take up to several days. If your test is for a specific purpose such as a requirement for work or travel, make sure to check the testing requirements before you make an appointment.
