HARTFORD, Conn. — Gov. Ned Lamont announced a new executive order Thursday evening, requiring employees of long-term care facilities to get their booster shots. It will be an amendment to an already existing order requiring these employees to be fully vaccinated. Employees will have until Feb. 11 to receive their booster shots.
Connecticut hospitals will also be requiring employees to have their booster shots. Gov. Lamont said the mandate is being put in place amid a surge of COVID-19 to avoid an outbreak at our nursing homes.
"Our nursing homes, as you remember, were particularly hard hit a year and a half ago, suffering real fatalities and we can't let that happen again," Lamont said. "And it's not, right now our fatalities are relatively low. Much lower today than they were a year and a half ago, much lower. That's because almost all of our residents are vaccinated the vast majority are boosted. Almost all of our nurses are vaccinated but not that many of them are boosted," he said.
Officials said that may be due to exhaustion related to working through the pandemic.
"There is a little exhaustion factor. And 'my gosh, I got my two shots, thought I was on the other side of this.' You oughta remember those two shots were extraordinarily effective, kept us with a very low infection rate for an awful long time," Lamont said. "We have another couple of innings to go and the booster keeps you safe," he said.
Meanwhile, The state's Department of Public Health is facing criticism from Republicans after sending out a two-page memo to long-term care facilities, advising them to make accommodations for patients discharged from hospitals, even if that patient is COVID-19 positive.
View the memo Fox 61 received from the state below:
Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly said in a statement, it could put lives at risk.
"We must explore all other avenues including recovery centers before pursuing a path that could open the door to COVID-19 tearing its way through our nursing homes again,” said Sen. Kelly.
The Governor's office responded, saying they're advising facilities have a plan to accept COVID-19 patients, but they aren't mandating it.
Gaby Molina is a reporter and anchor at FOX61 News. She can be reached at gmolina@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Jenn Bernstein is an anchor at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jbernstein@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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