Geraldo Reyes Jr

Due to the continued increase and uptick in COVID-19 positivity rates, Waterbury remains on the Red alert list.

For several additional charts and tables containing more data groups, including a town-by-town breakdown of positive cases in each municipality and a breakdown of cases and deaths among age groups, click here.

Positivity for the Future

"As we close in on the end of January 2021 and the vaccination program has been rolled out in Waterbury, please know that testing is still going on daily. Note especially when exhibiting signs of COVID, please don’t hesitate to get tested as we all wait patiently for our turn to be vaccinated. Please use precaution and get tested if you have any doubts also continue using your mask, especially in crowds and public places." - State Rep. Geraldo Reyes

Weekly update of the Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 Alert Map: 163 of 169 municipalities in red zone alert level

The Connecticut Department of Public Health released its weekly COVID-19 Alert Map, which indicates that 163 of 169 towns and cities in Connecticut are currently in the red zone alert level, the highest of the state’s four alert levels.

The only municipalities in the state that are not in the red zone this week are Canaan, Colebrook, Cornwall, Norfolk, Scotland, and Warren, all of which are in the gray alert level.

The color-coded zones include:

• Red: Indicates case rates over the last two weeks of greater than 15 per 100,000 population
• Orange: Indicates case rates between 10 to 14 cases per 100,000 population
• Yellow: Indicates case rates between 5 and 9 per 100,000 population
• Gray: Indicates case rates lower than five per 100,000 population

The weekly alert map is also accompanied by a chart that provides guidance on recommended actions based on the alert levels for individual residents; institutions such as schools, houses of worship, and community organizations; and municipal leaders and local health directors.

The COVID-19 Alert Map is updated every Thursday around 4:00 p.m. and can be found in the Data Tracker page of the state’s coronavirus website.

Data updates on vaccine administration in Connecticut

The following data represents the total number of COVID-19 vaccinations administered in Connecticut, as reported to the state as of yesterday:

• First doses administered: 299,876
• Second doses administered: 64,379
• Total doses administered: 364,255

Connecticut ranks among the top three states in the nation for administering the vaccine to its residents. So far, 35 percent of the state’s population over the age of 75 has received the vaccine.

Connecticut is currently in phase 1b of its COVID-19 vaccination program. Right now under this phase, individuals over the age of 75 can receive the vaccine. Soon, the phase will expand to include individuals between the ages of 65 and 74, and individuals between the ages of 16 and 64 who have underlying health conditions. Residents and staff of congregate settings and frontline essential workers will soon also become eligible during this phase.

Information on Connecticut’s COVID-19 vaccination program is available here.

Vaccination Rollout

Currently, residents 75 and older can get the COVID-19 vaccine. Health officials expect to start scheduling appointments for people between the ages of 65 and 74 in early February. To monitor the rollout phase schedule and eligibility criteria, as well as to schedule an appointment, please click here.

1. Review the bulletin daily and check to see which committees are having public hearings.
2. Use the “On-line Testimony Registration Form” link in the notice to register to testify. You can also call the number listed if you do not have access to the internet.
   • Make sure you have noted the bill or resolution number(s) you plan to testify on because you will need that to complete the form.
3. If you’re registering online, you’ll be taken to the Webinar registration page for the hearing at which you would like to testify. Make sure to review the details of the hearing closely to confirm that you are registering for the correct hearing.
4. You will need to scroll down to find the registration form. The form requests the same information that committee staff would ask you if you were signing up to testify in-person.
5. Once you submit the form, you’ll receive a pending approval notice to the email address you included in the form. Make sure to keep the information in this notice handy.
6. Within 24 hours, after you have registered to testify, you will receive an email confirming that you have signed up for the hearing. If you need to cancel, there is the “cancel” link in the bottom left corner.
   • Please note that there is a deadline to register to testify. You can find the exact time and date that registration closes for a particular hearing listed in the bulletin.
7. On the morning of the hearing, a speaker list will be generated and posted on the committee page. Go to “Public Hearings” and click “testimony” and select the hearing date. In the right corner, there will be a document labeled “Speaker Order.” Click to open and find your placement.
8. Make sure to log onto Zoom before the hearing starts and turn off camera/microphone until it is your turn. You will have to wait to speak as if you are sitting in a hearing room.
9. You can monitor every public hearing this session in real-time on each committee's official Youtube channel (accessible here under the "CGA Live Streaming Feeds" heading). Some public hearings are also broadcast live on CT-N.