Press Releases

10/27/2021

Governor Lamont Provides Update on Connecticut’s Coronavirus Response Efforts

Latest Data as of 3:00PM on Wednesday, October 27, 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 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 27, 2021:

Data updates on testing in Connecticut

The following is a summary of the day-to-day newly reported data on cases 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.

Data on COVID-19 associated deaths is updated once per week every Thursday. The most recently reported total number of deaths is 8,721.

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 provides information about COVID vaccines for 5 to 11-year-old children: Roll-out expected to begin next week

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) independent advisory group on Tuesday recommended that the Pfizer-BioNTech application for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for its COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 through 11 be approved. Currently, only children 12-years-and-older are eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health anticipates several additional authorization activities to follow shortly:

• In the next days, the FDA will likely accept these recommendations and issue an EUA for the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 through 11
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) independent advisory group, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet on November 2 and 3 to issue its own independent recommendations related to the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 through 11
• The CDC Director will likely accept the ACIP’s recommendations
• If all recommendations and approvals go smoothly, Connecticut will begin administration of COVID-19 vaccines to children ages 5 through 11 on Thursday, November 4.

The expected approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children 5 to 11 marks a major step forward in the overall COVID-19 vaccine roll-out. An authorized vaccine for nearly all school-aged children will help keep schools open and safe. Although children generally have mild cases of COVID-19, some do get sick.

Ensuring high rates of vaccine coverage among all school-aged children will have many benefits. Vaccinated children are not required to quarantine if exposed to the virus, high rates of coverage can also help to reduce rates of transmission within school settings, and vaccinating children provides another layer of protection for their families and the broader community.

Children and families will have many options for where to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, including:

• Pediatricians: Hundreds of pediatricians will be administering COVID-19 vaccines across Connecticut. However, not all pediatricians will have the COVID-19 vaccine, so if your child’s provider doesn’t offer the COVID-19 vaccine, please refer to one of the other options provided.
• Pharmacies: There will be hundreds of pharmacy locations that are offering the COVID-19 vaccine to children, including many CVS, Walgreens, RiteAid, and other pharmacy chains across the state as well as independent pharmacies. Pharmacies provide a safe, convenient, and easy location to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Pharmacies have rolled out specialized trainings for their pharmacist staff to provide vaccines for younger children.
• School-based clinics: The Connecticut Department of Public Health and the Connecticut State Department of Education are collaborating to offer on-site clinics at schools across the State of Connecticut. These will either be led by school-based health centers or special mobile teams that are specifically trained to offer vaccines for younger children. Information about such clinics will be provided by schools or districts directly.
• Other locations: In addition to the above, several health systems and local health departments will be offering COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5 to 11.

Everyone is encouraged to visit ct.gov/covidvaccine to learn more. You can also use that website to search for a convenient location near you to find a vaccine for your child.

In addition, the Connecticut Department of Public Health reminds everyone that if you are 12 and older, you are currently eligible and highly encouraged to receive a COVID-19 vaccine if you have not already. Roughly 90% of Connecticut’s population 12-and-older has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and this high rate of coverage is what has allowed Connecticut to stay open and stay safe.

In addition, people are encouraged to review the latest information about booster doses. Everyone 65 and older and everyone who received the J&J vaccine should receive a COVID-19 booster dose. In addition, many individuals aged 18 to 64 who received Pfizer or Moderna are also eligible to receive a booster.

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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