CONCORD - State health officials will begin a series of public testing clinics next week for people who may be at risk for hepatitis C strain from the outbreak at Exeter Hospital.

Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Nicholas Toumpas announced the new plan Friday. It involves testing about 3,300 patients that potentially could have been exposed to the virus at Exeter Hospital.

The state is sending letters and plans follow-up calls to each of the patients to make sure they know when and where they can go for testing.

Toumpas said organizing the revised testing plan took longer than the state wanted, but the extra time was needed to organize such a large-scale operation.

The first public clinic will be next Friday and Saturday at Stratham's Cooperative Middle School. Other clinics will follow later in the month in Plaistow, Manchester and Rochester. The state will also have a hotline starting Monday for people to call for more information.