Bristol Health Changing The Focus Of Its COVID-19 Specimen Collection

By Bristol Health

June 19, 2020

Effective Saturday, June 20, Bristol Health will be converting its COVID-19 specimen collection to a model that concentrates on Bristol Health patients. This decision is based on the rapidly decreasing number of COVID positive patients coupled with the reduced number of collections from Bristol Health’s Specimen Collection Station. Saturday will be the last day of Bristol Health’s Specimen Collection Station.

Bristol Health will focus on COVID testing for its employees as well as all inpatients admitted to the hospital, patients of the Emergency Center, and those scheduled for surgery at Bristol Hospital’s Center for Surgery and Endoscopy. Bristol Health will continue to screen all employees and outpatients for COVID symptoms and provide facemasks to all who enter.

The Bristol Health Specimen Collection Station—which was located at the Queen Street entrance to Bristol Hospital—was one of the first hospital-based COVID collection sites to open in Connecticut on Friday, March 13. Since its opening, more than 4,100 COVID specimens have been collected.

Much of the success of Bristol Health’s Specimen Collection Station can be attributed to the school health nurses of the Bristol-Burlington Health District who have staffed the station since its opening.

For members of the general public seeking a COVID test, they can find a testing site by visiting the Connecticut Department of Public Health website: https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus or by calling the United Way’s 2-1-1 phone line.

Some of the local sites offering COVID testing to the community include:

CVS Pharmacy COVID-19 Testing Site - Bristol - Drive Up
81 North Street, Bristol

Rite Aid Pharmacy COVID-19 Testing Site - Wolcott - Drive Up
744 Wolcott Road, Wolcott

Thank you to all the Bristol Health employees, Bristol-Burlington Health District staff, and the Connecticut Department of Public Health for their help and dedication in mobilizing the specimen collection station at a time when it was vitally needed. In the event of a reoccurrence of COVID later this year, we know this team of professionals will be ready to reconstruct the Specimen Collection Station at a moment’s notice to ensure the health and wellness of the Greater Bristol community.