COVID-19 vaccinations in Connecticut continue with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting that 95% of the state's total population has received at least one vaccine dose, 80.1% are fully vaccinated, and 52.6% have a booster shot.
Right now, COVID-19 vaccines are available for people 6 months and older. Booster shots for those 5 and older are also available. The CDC says people over the age of 50 and certain younger immunocompromised people may now get an additional booster shot to increase their protection. More information about where to get a vaccine is at VaccineFinder.org or at the CT Vaccine Portal. You may also dial 211.
Those who need additional support can call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) to get help in English, Spanish, and more than 150 other languages – 8am to midnight ET, seven days a week. The Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL) is also available to specifically help people with disabilities access services. To get help, call 1-888-677-1199, Monday-Friday from 9am to 8pm ET or email DIAL@usaginganddisability.org.
So far, CDC data show that a total of 9,222,625 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been distributed to Connecticut and 7,853,405 doses have been administered.
State and federal officials are in the process of transitioning to weekly data releases, which will be released on Thursdays.
Meanwhile, federal and state public health officials are relaxing masking recommendations in public spaces. The CDC now says local masking ordinances should be based on hospitalizations, hospital capacity, and cases. Based on those numbers, counties will be sorted into three risk categories: low, medium, and high. According to the CDC, only people in "high" risk counties should wear masks, but the agency notes exceptions for certain at-risk populations.
Most recent data from the CDC show no counties in the "high" risk category. The counties of New Haven, Middlesex, and Litchfield remain at "medium" risk.
The counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Windham, and Tolland were moved from "medium" to "low" risk. New London county remains listed as "low" risk.
Despite the updated federal guidance, the Connecticut Department of Public Health noted in a recent statement, "it’s important to note that residents who are more comfortable wearing a mask should continue to do so if they wish. People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 also should wear a mask."
Many local school districts and child care centers in Connecticut have decided to leave it up to parents and students whether to wear a face mask. The DPH continues to recommend that all eligible students and staff get vaccinated against COVID-19, including booster shots.
As of Thursday, state public health officials report 233 people hospitalized with COVID-19. Hospitalizations over the past seven days have decreased by 40 people, according to state figures.
State officials continue to report racial disparities in Connecticut’s vaccine rollout. But the data come with caveats. State officials have logged hundreds of thousands of shots given to people who are classified as “Other Race” or “Unknown.” Those groups likely include people who would identify with a race and ethnicity listed below, therefore vaccine coverage for the groups listed is likely underestimated and should be interpreted with caution, according to the DPH. As of June 1, 2022, the state began using new census estimates to calculate vaccine coverage, which has caused a shift in some of the demographic data. Caution should be used "when making comparisons of percentages calculated using the 2019 and 2020 census estimates," according to the DPH.
Currently, state public health data show 99 of Connecticut’s 169 towns at the highest alert level for COVID-19. That's down from last week's total of 109. An additional 40 communities are currently listed at the second-highest “orange” alert level, 14 towns are in the "yellow" tier, and 16 towns are at the lowest alert level.
According to the state DPH, the map does not include cases among people who reside in nursing homes, assisted living centers, or correctional facilities.
