Governor Lamont Provides Update on Connecticut's Coronavirus Response Efforts

(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 4:00 p.m. on Friday, October 16, 2020:

Data updates on testing in Connecticut

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

County-by-county breakdown:

For several additional graphs and tables containing more data, including a list of cases in every municipality, visit ct.gov/coronavirus and click the link that is labeled, “COVID-19 Data Tracker.”

State of Connecticut launches color-coded, weekly COVID-19 alert map with guidance for municipal response

The Connecticut Department of Public Health today launched a new weekly, color-coded COVID-19 alert map for every city and town in the state, identifying the average daily case rate per 100,000 population over the last two weeks. The new weekly alert level is also accompanied by municipal-level guidance on recommended actions for individual residents, institutions such as schools, houses of worship, community organizations, municipal leaders, and local health directors.

The map will be updated every week and is available in the Data Tracker on the state’s coronavirus website (ct.gov/coronavirus).

It is color coded according to the following criteria:

• Red is for municipalities that have a two week average daily COVID-19 case rate higher than 15 per 100,000 population.
• Orange is for municipalities with case rates between 10-14 per 100,000 population.
• Yellow is for municipalities with case rates between 5-9 per 100,000 population.
• Gray is for municipalities with case rates lower than 5 per 100,000 population.

This week, the following municipalities are in the red category:

• Canterbury
• Danbury
• East Lyme
• Griswold
• Hartford
• Montville
• New London
• Norwich
• Preston
• Sprague
• Windham

The following is guidance for individuals and communities based on the color-coded alert levels:

Governor’s COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group holds first meeting

The Governor’s COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group held its first meeting on Thursday evening. The group was created by Governor Lamont to advise his administration on preparations for a COVID-19 vaccine, including the optimization of a statewide vaccine distribution strategy, and communicating critical medical information about the vaccine with the state’s residents.

Its members include vaccination experts, vaccination providers, state agency representatives, state legislators, labor representatives, emergency management officials, and representatives of highly impacted communities.

The group is administered by staff from the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Its meetings are being held virtually and made available to the public to watch through the Connecticut Network, which broadcasts on cable television and its website, www.ct-n.com.

Connecticut Department of Public Health submits draft COVID-19 mass vaccination plan to CDC

The Connecticut Department of Public Health today submitted a draft COVID-19 mass vaccination plan to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As this plan is a draft, it is subject to change and revision. The members of the recently enacted Governor’s COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group are reviewing the plan for possible revisions during the coming weeks.

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.