DERBY — With that pesky Omicron variant causing steep increases in COVID-19 cases locally, getting the “gold standard” PCR test at Griffin Hospital hasn’t been easy for some (constant busy signals, limited appointments).
However, on Wednesday, Jan. 12, Griffin used Facebook to announce the hospital had increased testing capacity, and urged people to call 203 – 437-6815 to make an appointment to get tested.
On Thursday, Jan. 13, hospital spokesperson Robert O’Mara emailed The Valley Indy with tips on how to get tested at the hospital’s drive through clinic.
“We’ve expanded our call center capacity to handle the increased call volume, as well as tent testing capacity to increase test appointment availability,” O’Mara said in an email.
He said people should call 203 – 437-6815 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on weekdays to get an appointment. The weekend hours are 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
“The call center receives the highest volume of calls on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m.,” O’Mara said. “When call volume is high, callers have the option to be called back without losing their spot in the call queue.“
O’Mara advised the public that calling between 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. is ideal, because it is outside the high volume call period.
On a personal note, my daughter had a 103 fever with a persistent, hacking cough last week — and my wife simply could not get beyond a busy signal on Griffin’s COVID-19 line despite 25 attempts over the course of an hour or so.
However, the day after Griffin announced increased testing capacity, we were able to get through, get a call back, set up an immediate test, and get it done all within about an hour on Thursday morning. We also had her test result by the end of the day — negative, amazingly.
By the way, our sister site in New Haven is reporting there is evidence that the latest COVID-19 surge may have peaked locally.
Click here to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Shelton or Naugatuck.
