Some drive-thru coronavirus testing sites are closing in preparation for Monday's storm.
The State Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection has warned of possible heavy damage to outdoor COVID-19 testing sites due to the potential strong winds.
Drive-thru testing at the following sites will be closed:
- Hartford HealthCare sites
- Town of Darien testing sites
- St. Mary's Hospital in Waterbury
- UConn Health testing sites
- Trinity Health of New England testing sites
- Bristol Health
- Testing sites in Milford
- Testing sites in Bridgeport
- Testing site on Sargent Drive in New Haven
Also, several outdoor field hospitals were put up.
“We’re putting a plan together to get teams out to all sites where we set up tents and mobile field hospitals to be proactive with the facilities," Governor Ned Lamont said.
Eversource says it is also ready to respond under its COVID-19 pandemic plan to restore any power outages and it is all hands on deck.
"Social distancing is the new norm. Typically the crews would go out two people to the truck. That’s not taking place any more. Social distancing is being practiced, face coverings. Everyone wears a face covering on the job now. And of course, they’re wiping down the trucks, they’re wiping down the equipment," Eversource Spokesperson Mitch Gross said.
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"We’re prepared, we’re ready for situations like this and hopefully the winds don’t become as fierce as the forecasts say they will," Gross added.
But if trees or lines come down, we’re told detours will be a little easier to handle since people have been told to stay home anyways.
"I guess if there is a silver lining in any of this it’s the fact that you do have less vehicle traffic. You don’t have schools in session. So the worry about schools maintaining power and that being a scenario really doesn’t come into place," East Lyme Police Chief Mike Finkelstein said.
NBC Connecticut has reached out to several healthcare systems in the state to find out if they are doing anything to secure their testing sites but at this point have not yet received a response.
All drive-thru sites across the state are expecting to resume operations on Tuesday.
