Coral Ortiz photo
Anne Wyllie, a microbiologist who helped create the saliva testing, at Thursday's press conference.
A new PCR saliva-based test has made its way to New Haven.
Beginning Thursday, the rebooted saliva testing will be provided via drive-through and walk-up at 60 Sargent Drive from 8 a.m.- noon and the New Haven Green from 3 – 6 p.m. every day except for Friday. This saliva-based PCR testing for Covid-19 comes from a collaboration between Yale School of Public Health, Yale Pathology, the City of New Haven, and the State of Connecticut. Saliva Direct, a private company started by Yale faculty, is replacing Wren Laboratories as operator of the two sites.
This news came at a press conference Thursday at the Long Wharf testing site, after which officials tried the service themselves.
Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz emphasized the importance of this saliva-based testing site as the Omicron variant continues spreading in the state. “We are on a downward spiral, but we’re not out of the woods yet,” Bysiewicz said.
Officials claimed the new arrangement will offer reliable results, will increase testing and lab capacity while costing less.
Lt. Governor Bysiewicz and U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro getting tested.
The walk-up testing sites require no appointments for and no out-of-pocket cost. Officials said to expect results to be emailed within 24 – 48 hours, if not sooner.
Mayor Justin Elicker said the new service demonstrates what “collaboration between this city and university can look like.”
“What excites me most is the absence of a line” at the facility right now, along with how the facility can expand capacity for the city, he said.
While Wren Laboratories had problems scaling up their operations in CT to meet the surge in testing demand caused by Omicron which initially led to its downtown New Haven to close early, not cancel appointments on the books, and take 4 days to deliver test results, and they improved on all those things of late, i never perceived any problems with the accuracy of their results or the cost of their tests, which was free with or without insurance.