Community health leaders in Bridgeport say the number of COVID-19 cases in the city is on the rise, but the number of people getting tested is going down - a matter they say spells a recipe for disaster.

One month ago, the number of people getting tested for COVID-19 in Bridgeport was near an all-time high. However, the Southwest Community Health Center testing site on Fairfield Avenue was virtually empty Friday.

"Many testing facilities are having the same issue right now across southwestern Connecticut," says Samuel Diaz, of Southwest Community Health Center. "We have a high infections rate right now in the city of Bridgeport."

Diaz says the number of people getting tested has dropped by more than 50% over the past two weeks in spite of the fact that COVID cases are rising dramatically in Bridgeport. He says severe weather and the holiday season account for some of the drop-off, along with the mistaken belief that the need for testing is less urgent now because some people are getting vaccinated.

"That's bad because now you're spreading it or you possibly could be asymptomatic so you're a carrier, but you're just not showing any symptoms," says Diaz. "But you're interacting with the public, you're out, you're about, you're grocery shopping, whatever that may be, you're going to work and now you're spreading it to others and it could be a more infectious for them and they could show symptoms later on and not realize where they got it from."

Diaz says everyone should get tested. He says, "Keep your masks up, keep your hands washed, but please come and get tested."