Eurofins Clinical Enterprise, Inc., a Eurofins Scientific company, and Affinity Empowering, Inc., a provider of occupational, behavioral, and direct-to-consumer health services, announced they have conducted the first tests in the Northeast Hub for Operation Expanded Testing (OET) in Westport, Connecticut.

OET is a federal program to increase COVID-19 testing capabilities throughout congregate settings including K-12 schools and summer school programs, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, and select, non-profit community centers. The OET program is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Eurofins Clinical Enterprise has partnered with Affinity Empowering to coordinate OET program implementation.

Read Affinity Empowering Launches Operation to Increase COVID-19 Testing

The first COVID-19 tests by Eurofins and Affinity through the OET program were conducted with students of the Summer Academy of Horizons GFA, which provides academic, social-emotional, and enrichment programming for Pre K-8 students in the Bridgeport, Connecticut, area. Horizons GFA, a non-profit organization with a mission to close the opportunity and achievement gaps for students in under-resourced communities, worked directly with Affinity to setup and launch the program. 

“We have been so excited to have the students in person at our Summer Academy program after COVID-19 restrictions made it impossible to do so last year,” said Allison Rosen, director of development for Horizons GFA. “Nevertheless, we wanted to do everything in our power to keep the students and their families feeling safe and at ease from the threat of COVID-19. Setting up a no-cost COVID-19 testing program through Affinity Empowering was the perfect solution.”

Through OET, Eurofins and Affinity provide fully funded COVID-19 testing programs, which are available across 26 Northeastern and Southern U.S. states and additional territories.

“We are grateful to the team at Horizons GFA for their enthusiasm in working with us to set up the first testing program of many as part of Operation Expanded Testing,” said Scott Storrer, CEO of Affinity Empowering. “COVID-19 testing programs like this will help keep safe schools and community organizations even safer.”