A rise in COVID cases in the Elm City and a recent spike at Yale University has the prestigious school upping their COVID alert status to Orange. They are strongly advising students to remain on campus.
"To hold back and to stay on campus is a wise decision," said Dr. Maritza Bond, the Director of New Haven Public Health. She agrees with the school's approach to limit trips off-campus. "We are seeing an increase in positive cases among that age group 18 to 24-year-olds, although the 25 to 49-year-olds continue to be our highest percentage of contracting COVID-19."
Yale’s COVID status increase comes after a spike in 20 cases. They are requiring students in the Davenport, Hopper, and Saybrook residential colleges to quarantine. They believe the cases could be related to dining in restaurants. Six COVID positive students had recently visited "El Amigo Felix" on Whalley Avenue.
"They have complied and have done and followed all the proper safety health measures," said Dr. Bond. "We have no concerns at this juncture."
Other institutions reporting cases or multiple isolations in the last week include Southern Connecticut State University, Albertus Magnus College, and Gateway Community College.
A number of city officials in multiple departments ranging from the City Clerk’s office to first responders have tested positive. Currently, 15 New Haven police officers and 21 firefighters are in quarantine.
"We are evaluating more deeply what each department is doing to make sure that we reduce the number of people that are likely to be exposed if we have a positive case," said Mayor Justin Elicker.
New Haven is putting together a planning committee for mass vaccination efforts. The three-phase rollout would begin with essential employees before expanding deeper into the communities. Those at high-risk would be prioritized.
If Pyzer can get an emergency approval for their COVID vaccine, city officials believe the first batch could arrive by the end of November. Pfizer believes a vaccine could be available to the public by the end of the year, but there has not been a specific timeline for distribution in Connecticut presented.