COVID–19 testing site launched at Chicopee Comp

Jan. 7, 2021 | Carolyn Noel
carolynn@thereminder.com

CHICOPEE – An uptick of COVID-19 cases in Chicopee has led to the development of a new testing site at the city’s Comprehensive High School. The testing site had its soft launch on Dec. 21, where 60 city employees and first responders were tested. The new site officially launched on Dec. 22 and is open to city residents, city employees and first responders.

During October and November, there was a steady increase of COVID-19 cases in Chicopee. This led to Mayor John Vieau looking into creating a testing site within the city. City officials and employees were able to make this happen, with many volunteering to work at the site.

“We just pursued it and we were able to get it going in December,” said Elizabeth Soja, director of Occupational Health & Safety for the city of Chicopee.

The drive-thru testing site is open Monday through Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Those looking to be tested can bring proof of Chicopee residence – such as a license or a piece of mail with an address on it – to the site in order to be tested.

To make the process smoother, residents are encouraged to fill out an intake form online, print it out and bring it to the site with them. This intake form will include vital information such as last name, date of birth, phone number and email address. Intake forms are also available at the site to those who need them.

“We would prefer it be printed out from the computer just because of legibility and printing clearly so that we can transfer that information into the system with the correct spelling of the last name, email address and phone number,” said Soja.

The entire process of being tested takes place within a resident’s car. After turning in an intake form, those being tested will be handed a labeled vial with a swab. They will then proceed around the building to complete a self-administered swab test, which is supervised by a medical professional for accuracy. The professionals are school nurses and EMTs from the Chicopee Police and Fire Departments.

“If someone is handicapped or if they have children and the parents aren’t comfortable doing it, we have health officials there who are able to administer the test, but we prefer to have residents do it themselves just to keep the exposure at a minimum,” said Soja.

The swab is then placed into the vial and handed to the supervisor. After testing is done for the day, the vials are shipped off to a lab in Cambridge. Residents can expect test results within 24 to 48 hours.

A negative COVID-19 test result will be sent by email and positive results by phone, which is why it is so important for intake forms to be filled out properly, according to Soja.

“We get the positive results right away so we make those calls first because it’s very important to communicate to the person that got tested that they are positive so they know to quarantine and start the process with contact tracing,” she said.

Invalid test results or Tests Not Processed (TNP) will also be sent by phone. An invalid or TNP test can be a result of a technical glitch or not enough sample on the swab. Those individuals are then instructed to get retested, whether at Chicopee Comp or elsewhere.

The COVID-19 testing site at Chicopee Comp has tested roughly 1,300 people in the week that they have been open. Soja said they are expecting a big jump in numbers due to the holidays.

The testing site will remain open until there are no more test kits or tests are no longer needed. According to Soja, the city spent around $1 million on test kits and were able to purchase over 20,000.

“We’re here for the duration,” she said.

Soja also had advice for anyone who is nervous about contracting the virus or wants to stay as safe as possible during this time.

“We’ve been hearing this from anyone and everyone on the news: just wear the mask, wash your hands frequently and disinfect if washing your hands isn’t a possibility. It’s really important to social distance and it really works with lowering your risk to exposure,” she said.

Those interested in learning more about COVID-19 testing in Chicopee or who want to fill out the intake form before a test are encouraged to visit https://www.chicopeema.gov/889/COVID-19.

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