State officials are optimistic that the supply of vaccines will soon reach a level to meet demand, Governor Ned Lamont said in a press briefing on Thursday.
Connecticut COVID-19 Vaccine Update
To date, the state has administered 1,258,847 total doses, with 445,231 people fully vaccinated. The state reports that 76% of those aged 75 and over had at least one dose, 67% of those aged 65-74 and 32% of those aged 55-64.
Overall, 29% of all adults aged 16 and over were vaccinated.
The state encourages people who have booked appointments with vaccines further to check back for a better schedule and more doses coming into the state.
“I think you’ll find within six weeks everyone who wants a vaccine will have that option,” Lamont said.
The governor also said that they are still lagging behind with their goals for higher risk populations.
“We still have something to do when we reach our weakest populations,” Lamont said Thursday.
The state’s goal is to administer 25% of vaccines to residents of 50 socially vulnerable postal codes or IAS, while currently hitting around 20%.
Officials said they are working with local leaders in various cities on information strategies, including mobile clinics set up in senior centers and churches, door-to-door campaigns to get people to sign up for vaccinations and phone calls to give people a chance. chance to ask questions to make sure they are ready to be vaccinated.
The latest coronavirus numbers in Connecticut
The positivity rate of the COVID-19 test in Connecticut reached 2.36% on Thursday.
31,185 new tests were reported on Thursday, 735 returning positive. Currently, 383 people are hospitalized with the virus, a net decrease of seven. Nine deaths were reported.
The governor noted that the state has seen a decrease in the number of tests administered, from an average of about 300,000 per week to about 200,000. He also noted that while the positivity rate is in the range of 2-3%, positive cases tend to be younger people, with a lower risk of hospitalization and death.
The briefing comes as Connecticut and the rest of the nation mark a year since the pandemic blockades began.
Looking at strategies to support education
The state is set to receive about $ 1.1 billion in education funding from the US Rescue Plan, which the state plans to provide in three key areas – improved summer learning and enrichment, college credit learning and summer internships. . They will also focus on re-enrolling students in social activities that they missed out of class.
However, while officials say it is essential to bring students back to class, they say the comfort level will be a big challenge.
“The basic thing is the feeling of security to return to a school environment. In fact, we hope that as educators are vaccinated and more families are also in that space, that there will be a sense of re-employment as we approach social isolation, “said State Department of Education Interim Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker.
Funding for mental health initiatives
The state will also receive funding for mental health, which will focus on increasing behavioral health school curricula, support for substance abuse programs, funding for youth suicide prevention, and address other needs arising from the pandemic.
Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Commissioner Miriam Delphin-Rittmon said the additional funding will allow them to expand existing programs and provide more support services, but it is essential for the public to know that resources are available to them. For more information on existing services, click here.