HARTFORD, Conn. (WTIC Radio) - City and Education officials in Hartford announced Thursday COVID-19 testing will be available for public school students and staff in school and on school grounds.
As of Wednesday, school nurses in Hartford Public Schools and Capitol Region Education Council schools in Hartford have been trained to collect COVID-19 test samples for symptomatic students or staff and cohorts that may have been exposed to the virus, Mayor Luke Bronin said.
The specimens will be sent to existing testing operations with Hartford HealthCare and Trinity Health of New England under a new agreement with the city, Bronin explained. In-school testing is set to begin on October 5.
Mobile testing events will be increased on school grounds starting next week, Bronin said, through a partnership with health centers and the dozen testing sites already operating in the city.
According to HPS officials, UConn Masters-level interns will be placed at school sites to respond to the needs of students and staff. Work is set to begin in early October.
Bronin continues to push for residents to get tested for COVID-19 after the city saw a recent uptick in cases.
According to Bronin, the city is on track this week to have an increase of 60 to 80 COVID-19 cases.
He said through contact tracing, officials believe much of the spread is driven by social gatherings.
The rise in cases is still manageable, he said, but it's worth acknowledging.