Governor Lamont Provides Update on Connecticut’s Coronavirus Response Efforts

(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 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 1, 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.”

Data updates on vaccine administration in Connecticut

The following data represents the total number of COVID-19 vaccinations administered in Connecticut, as reported to the state as of today:

Connecticut continues to rank in the top five states in the nation for vaccine distribution.

So far, the state has vaccinated:

• 75 percent of its population over the age of 75
• 52 percent of its population between the ages of 65 and 74

Those who are currently eligible to receive the vaccine under Connecticut’s COVID-19 vaccination program include all individuals over the age of 55, as well as all healthcare personnel, medical first responders, residents and staff of long-term care facilities, residents and staff of select congregate settings, and preK-12 school staff and professional childcare providers. Over the coming weeks, eligibility will expand based on age according to the following schedule:

• March 22, 2021: Expands to ages 45 to 54
• April 12, 2021: Expands to ages 35 to 44
• May 3, 2021: Expands to ages 16 to 34

Information on Connecticut’s COVID-19 vaccination program is available at ct.gov/covidvaccine.

Connecticut’s COVID-19 vaccination program expanded today to include residents between the ages of 55 and 64, in addition to school staff and early childcare professionals

Beginning today, Connecticut residents between the ages of 55 and 64 are now eligible to schedule appointments and receive the COVID-19 vaccine through one of more than 130 sites throughout the state.

In addition, public and private preK-12 school staff and childcare professionals have also become eligible to receive the vaccine, effective today. School staff and childcare professionals will receive instructions from their school districts, town, or employer on how they will be able to receive their vaccines.

It is estimated that there are more than 500,000 individuals in Connecticut between the ages of 55 and 64, in addition to about 160,000 school staff and childcare professionals. This week, the state anticipates receiving a supply of around 130,000 doses of the approved vaccines from the federal government. With this in mind, the state anticipates that demand for the vaccine will far outweigh supply as the program expands today to include these new groups. Newly eligible residents are urged to be patient and recognize most will not be able to schedule their appointment immediately due to limited vaccine supply.

“To ease the burden on the online and phone systems, we urge residents 55 and older to consider waiting a few days before seeking an appointment if they are able to do so,” Acting Public Health Commissioner Dr. Deidre Gifford said. “New appointments will become available each week and this will help reduce stress on the system in the early days of the roll out. We are all in this together, and we need to work together in order to get out of this pandemic as quickly as possible.”

To find the nearest available vaccination clinics and schedule an appointment, residents should visit ct.gov/covidvaccine and enter their zip code. From there they will receive instructions on how to schedule an appointment at each specific clinic. Appointments can be scheduled over the internet or via telephone.

Those who do not have access to the internet can call Connecticut’s COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment Assist Line at 877-918-2224 any day of the week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The assist line, which is operated by the United Way of Connecticut, recently increased its capacity and is able to manage 1,050 calls at any one time. If that number is exceeded, callers will hear a busy signal, indicating they will need to try again later. Staff at the assist line anticipate speaking with 10,000 callers per day, and once that capacity is reached, callers will hear recorded message telling them to call back the next day.

Connecticut working with vaccine providers to administer at least 25% of vaccines in priority communities

As part of the Lamont administration’s continuing efforts to increase equity in vaccine distribution to residents of underserved communities that have been hardest hit by COVID-19, the Connecticut Department of Public Health has identified the individual zip codes across the state that are in the top 25 percent of the CDC’s social vulnerability index (SVI). The department is working with vaccine providers to commit to administering at least 25 percent of available vaccine supply to the residents living in these priority zip codes and to collecting, tracking, and reporting data regarding race and ethnicity for vaccines administered.

In addition, the equity pledge calls for providers to make investments in outreach and access efforts to reach vulnerable communities, particularly communities of color, including dedicated call-in lines, reserved appointment slots for priority zip codes, community health worker models, and mobile clinics in priority neighborhoods.

On a periodic basis, the Department of Public Health will report on the progress that is made in administering the vaccine to residents of the priority zip codes and in ensuring that it is administered equitably across race and ethnicity.

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.