HARTFORD, Conn —
Feb. 19
Positivity rate stays under 3%; hospitalizations continue to drop
Connecticut administered 46,396 tests Friday and 1,198 came back positive, yielding a positivity rate of 2.58%
Hospitalizations continue to drop, with the current total now at 535 patients. There were 27 new COVID-19 related deaths reported Friday. Connecticut's death toll has reached 7,523 people.
Bristol Health/American Legion Post 2 registration event canceled
A COVID-19 vaccine registration event by Bristol Health and The American Legion Post 2 is canceled for today. It was originally scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Organizers say they expect to reschedule it for a day later next week.
Chesprocott Health District's vaccine clinic closed
Chesprocott Health District’s Vaccination Clinic at the Cheshire Community Pool is canceled for 2/19/21. All Appointments have been rescheduled for the same time on 2/20/21 at the Cheshire Community Pool.
Feb. 18
New Haven Health Department Vaccine clinic closes due to storm
Due to Friday's expected snowstorm, the New Haven Health Department COVID-19 vaccine clinic will be closed.
COVID-19 positivity rate remains low for Thursday
Gov. Ned Lamont held a press conference about Connecticut's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, showing the state's continuing metrics are trending downward.
Connecticut administered 27,015 tests and 547 came back positive, yielding a positivity rate of 2.02%. Hospitalizations also decreased by 16 people Thursday, bringing the total number of COVID patients to 568 people. Gov. Lamont said Connecticut's hospitals are doing great in terms of capacity.
There were 20 more COVID-19 related deaths, bringing the death toll to 7,496 people. Gov. Lamont said the daily numbers of deaths per day are down from January when Connecticut saw about on average 40 COVID-19 related deaths.
Connecticut continues to vaccinate its population at a high rate and is only behind New Mexico and Alaska in terms of vaccine distribution. As of Thursday, Connecticut has administered 746,888 doses of the vaccine.
Feb. 17
CT DPH tells vaccine clinics to reschedule appointments if they close
In a statement released by the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the COVID-19 vaccine clinics have been advised they should be rescheduling canceled appointments if the clinic closes due to the weather.
The CT DPH continued by saying the clinics should be rescheduling the canceled appointments on make-up clinics held by the Sunday of that same week.
"Individuals who are scheduled to receive their vaccine on a date where inclement weather is expected should assume that their appointment will proceed as scheduled, unless contacted directly by the vaccine provider to cancel and reschedule," said a spokesperson for the CT DPH.
Positivity rate under 2%, lowest in months
The Governor's office released the latest COVID-19 metrics on Wednesday, showing the lowest positivity rate in months.
Connecticut administered 33,808 tests and 534 came back positive, yielding a positivity rate of 1.58%. Hospitalizations continue to drop and there are now 584 patients being treated for the virus.
There were 27 new COVID-19 reported deaths. Connecticut's death toll has reached 7,476 people.
Feb. 16
Governor Ned Lamont provides updates on COVID-19 in CT
The Governor held a press conference regarding COVID-19 in CT at 4 p.m. today.
Connecticut administered 20,485 tests and 580 came back positive, yielding a positivity rate of 2.83 percent. Hospitalizations decreased again with the current number of patients now at 606. There were two new COVID-19 reported deaths bringing the death toll to 7,449 people.
The state has also administered as of Tuesday, 691,846 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Gov. Lamont says Connecticut ranks fourth nationally in terms of vaccinated population.
Feb. 15
First case of the B.1.351 variant of COVID-19 detected in CT
Gov. Ned Lamont and state public health officials announced Monday that the B.1.351 variant of the COVID-19 virus -first discovered in South African has been detected in a Connecticut resident.
According to officials, this is the first known case of the B.1.351 variant in the state.
The patient, a Fairfield County resident between the ages of 60-70, is currently hospitalized out of state with the virus and their condition is improving.
DPH said in a release Monday that the patient has not traveled recently. The B.1.351 variant was reported this weekend by public health officials in New York.
CT Department of Public Health and local health officials are coordinating with officials in New York and contact tracing has been completed.
“Seeing another variant in our state reminds us yet again the severity of this pandemic and reinforces the need for us to take all of the necessary precautions which have proven to be successful over the past year," Gov. Lamont said. "The virus does not recognize state boundaries, and it certainly does not recognize international borders, which means the responsibility is on all of us to do what we can on a personal basis to mitigate the spread."
Acting DPH Commissioner Dr. Deidre Gifford advised that Connecticut residents should follow the new CDC guidance issued last week calling for double masking in certain circumstances.
“With the variants currently circulating in the United States and in Connecticut, it is more important than ever to prevent transmission of the virus. We do that by ensuring that masks are being worn correctly and are as effective as possible," Gifford said. Masks should always cover the nose and mouth completely. In some instances, a cloth mask along with a surgical mask may be the best approach according to the CDC, in order to prevent droplets from escaping or entering through gaps in masks."
Positivity rate at 2.89%, hospitalizations less than 700 patients
The governor's office released Monday new COVID-19 statistics since the start of the weekend.
Connecticut administered 97,516 tests and 2,905 came back positive, yielding a positivity rate of 2.98% . There was a decrease of 56 patients since Friday and hospitalizations are currently at 618 patients. That total remains under 700 for the first time in months.
There were 66 new COVID-19 related deaths reported since Friday. The state death toll now stands at 7,447 people.
Feb. 14
Health officials step up vaccination efforts amid obstacles
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) — Some political officials and community activists in Connecticut say they're worried not enough is being done to improve low COVID-19 vaccination rates in some cities and towns that are home to large Black and Hispanic populations. State and local officials have announced a series of actions to reach underserved communities over the past week, after new state data showed vaccination rates in cities like Bridgeport were much lower than those in wealthier suburbs. In Bridgeport, city resident Ramon Soto said he didn't know a vaccination site was operating near his home until a friend called him recently. He was able to get a shot Wednesday.
