Press Releases

05/07/2021

Governor Lamont Provides Update on Connecticut’s Coronavirus Response Efforts

Latest Data as of 4:00PM on Friday, May 7, 2021

(HARTFORD, CT) – As the State of Connecticut continues taking actions in response to the global spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Governor Ned Lamont provided the following updates as of 4:00 p.m. on Friday, May 7, 2021:

Data updates on testing in Connecticut

The following is a summary of the day-to-day newly reported data on cases, deaths, and tests in Connecticut. It is important to note that these newly reported updates include data that occurred over the last several days to a week. All data in this report are preliminary, and data for previous dates will be updated as new reports are received and data errors are corrected.

County-by-county breakdown of current COVID-19 hospitalizations:

For a series of interactive graphs and maps that provide additional data, including metrics related to age, gender, and race/ethnicity, as well as data broken down by every town and city in Connecticut, visit ct.gov/coronavirus and click the link that is labeled, “Data Tracker.”

Connecticut Department of Public Health releases data on COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough cases, highlighting the vaccine’s effectiveness against the virus

As Connecticut surpasses the 50% mark for residents ages 16 and over who are now fully vaccinated, the Connecticut Department of Public Health today released data on vaccine breakthrough cases, which clearly show that the COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at fighting the virus.

So-called “vaccine breakthrough cases” occur when a person who has completed their vaccine series becomes infected with the virus. The data shows that cases of COVID-19 in fully vaccinated individuals are rare, with less than 0.1% of Connecticut’s fully vaccinated persons being reported as having contracted the virus.

Of the 1,467,189 persons in Connecticut who have completed their vaccine series, 242 have been confirmed as contracting COVID-19. Of those, 109 (45%) had no symptoms of the disease. Three deaths have occurred among the 242 vaccine breakthrough cases. All three individuals were confirmed to have had underlying medical conditions and were in the age groups 55-64 (1), 65-74 (1), and 75+ (1). Nationally, the CDC has reported a total of 132 vaccine breakthrough deaths.

“The main takeaway is that COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective and cases of infection after a person is fully vaccinated are very rare,” Connecticut Public Health Acting Commissioner Dr. Deidre Gifford said. “The best protection against severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 is vaccination, and I strongly urge all eligible Connecticut residents who have not yet gotten vaccinated to do so.”

In addition to the overall number of breakthrough cases, the Department of Public Health also announced that of the 242 breakthrough cases:

• 159 cases (65.7%) were among women;
• 58 cases (24%) occurred among persons living in congregate settings (i.e. nursing homes, assisted living facilities); and
• 32 cases (13.2%) have been hospitalized.

“The vaccine is our most powerful tool against COVID-19, but these rare instances of infection after vaccination are a reminder that no vaccine is 100% effective,” Acting Commissioner Gifford said. “As long as we continue to see cases of COVID in Connecticut, it is important to continue the use of the other tools at our disposal – masking when indoors and in large outdoor crowds, hand washing, social distancing, and limiting gathering sizes when vaccination status is unknown.”

Providing information to Connecticut residents

For the most up-to-date information from the State of Connecticut on COVID-19, residents are encouraged to visit ct.gov/coronavirus. Residents can also subscribe to text message alerts from the state by texting the keyword COVIDCT to 888-777.

Individuals who have general questions that are not answered on the website can call 2-1-1 for assistance. The hotline is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance. Anyone who is out-of-state or requires a toll-free number can connect to Connecticut 2-1-1 by dialing 1-800-203-1234. This is intended to be used by individuals who are not experiencing symptoms but may have general questions related to COVID-19. Anyone who is experiencing symptoms are strongly urged to contact their medical provider.

Twitter: @GovNedLamont

Facebook: Office of Governor Ned Lamont

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