HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The number of COVID-19 testing locations and hours of available testing will increase over the next week or more as Connecticut continues to see more positive cases, driven in part by the fast-spreading omicron variant.
Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont said Monday that seven more state sites will be added, including a new saliva testing site on the New Haven Green that's scheduled to open this week.
Twenty-three sites are also expanding their hours to make it more convenient for residents to get tested.
"Give us a couple of weeks, but we are expanding testing every day to make that more available," Lamont said.
There are currently about 400 state and private testing locations across the state.
"They're usually available on demand, no questions, no cost," Lamont said.
The COVID positivity rate is 6.85% in Connecticut.
Since Friday, there have been more than 6,200 additional positive cases as of Monday.
The number of hospitalizations grew by 101, to 837.
The state just launched SMART Health Cards for Connecticut residents, which, similar to New York's Excelsior Pass, grants electronic access to vaccination records when getting into public indoor spaces.
After the SMART Health Card faced some criticism from conservative lawmakers, the governor assured it's secure.
"So this is ways that we can make it easier for you to be able to enjoy those places, make it easier for our restaurants, and stores, and businesses just to give them an option of showing that you're vaccinated, showing you're safe," Lamont said.
The system is compatible with New York and other states in the region.
The governor said he has no plans to bring back mask mandates.
WCBS 880 contributed to this report.
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