HARTFORD, Conn — Gov. Lamont announced Wednesday that the state has officially performed one million coronavirus PCR-based diagnostic tests.
The many tests have helped Connecticut to remain one of the few in the nation to keep the virus contained to low levels of transmission throughout the summer, the governor's office said in a release.
“This is a significant milestone, but we have to continue these efforts and keep going," Governor Lamont said. "We’re committed to moving forward with initiatives that keep testing available in the state to protect our residents, maintain the progress of our safe reopening, and get children back to school. I want to thank our partners in both the public and private sectors that have made this milestone a reality.”
Throughout the pandemic, Connecticut has ensured that COVID-19 testing is accessible for all residents with new and innovative efforts, including testing programs for those at greater risk to exposure.
Overall, Gov. Lamont allocated at least $250 million from the Coronavirus Relief Fund to support the efforts.
Officials say the state's testing was instrumental in maintaining rapid turnaround times even as other states have experienced significant spikes in cases.
"During the month of August, the median time for a Connecticut test result to be delivered has been one day, and 75 percent of tests have been returned in two days or less," officials wrote in a release. "This is in stark comparison to reports from other states, where test results often take a week or more to return, rendering contract tracing and isolation strategies ineffective."
“In addition to wearing a mask, social distancing, and isolation and quarantine when needed, the ability to test for COVID-19 is critical to informing our public health strategy to keep as many people safe and healthy as we reopen our economy and children go back to school,” Acting Public Health Commissioner Deidre S. Gifford, MD MPH, said. “Connecticut has relentlessly pursued creating as much testing capacity as possible, working with in-state labs to greatly expand testing and reduce the delays seen in other states for getting results. We have also focused on providing easily available testing for high risk populations with no out of pocket costs for the individual. This is very important as an early warning system for any potential outbreaks. We continue to look for innovative ways to grow our testing efforts in conjunction with subject matter experts in and outside of government by exploring more broad-based methods like saliva testing and pool testing. I look forward to continuing the progress we have already made.”