It took days of planning - and just a single statement to put everything on pause.  

On Wednesday, cities and towns across Connecticut announced to residents when and where they can pick up COVID-19 test kits, until Gov. Ned Lamont released a statement saying there will be a delay in the delivery of three million COVID-19 at-home test kits.   

“Due to shipping and warehouse delays outside of the state of Connecticut’s control, our state’s anticipated shipment of COVID-19 at-home rapid tests are currently delayed from arriving in Connecticut,” says Lamont.   

First Selectman of Milford Ben Blake says right now getting a test takes days, maybe even weeks. He says Milford is allotted over 5,000 kits. 

“It’s really important to have this additional security,” says Blake. 

Greenwich is allotted over 8,000 kits. Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo explains it is meant for “the elderly, people with underlying conditions. 

The governor says the cause of the delay is the bottleneck on the West Coast as the demand for tests reaches unprecedented levels.   

The announcement was made as towns and cities across the region had been preparing to distribute those tests starting on Thursday. Many of those areas are now forced to reschedule.  

The City of Norwalk is still hoping its 11,000 allotment will make it in time to for its distribution times on Thursday and Friday.  

The towns of Redding, Shelton and Weston are hoping for the same. If not, they will have to reschedule.  

In a letter to residents by First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick, of Fairfield, she expressed her “frustration”.  

“It would have been helpful if the test kits were in the state before towns and cities were asked to set up distribution sites,” says Kupchick.  

Town and city officials are telling residents despite the delay, once they receive word the tests have arrived, they will be ready to distribute as safely and as quickly as possible.