COVID-19 Updates 5/21

COVID
May 21, 2021
Local and National Data Updates
(Latest Data as of 4:00 PM on Friday, May 21, 2021)
 
  Confirmed Cases    Deaths    Tests Completed
Worldwide 166.3 Million 3.45 Million  
U.S. 33.8 Million 603,073 471.1 Million
Connecticut   346,325 8,212 9.11 Million
Waterbury 16,513 399
Positivity for the Future

"The mask rules are being modified by the State of CT and CDC, make a point to know your surroundings. I only caution you to understand that by our State's own numbers only half of the State's population has been fully vaccinated. Many restaurants and bars are making their own policy to address masks on their property. It’s a process and will require patience and time for people to adapt to these norms."  - State Rep. Geraldo Reyes
 
Session Announcement
 
During yesterday's session, I stood to congratulate my two nieces, Larissa and Shannon Anderson, for graduating from the University of Hartford. Congrats you two, and Congrats to all of the grads across Connecticut!

Data updates on vaccine administration in Connecticut

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

Dose

Total administered

First dose administered

2,068,087*

Fully vaccinated

1,731,879*

Total doses administered

3,670,711*

*A total of 129,255 doses of the single-dose J&J vaccine are included in all three categories.

All Connecticut residents over the age of 12 are currently eligible to receive the vaccines. To locate a vaccination clinic, click here.

Data updates on variants in Connecticut

The following data contains the cumulative number of SARS-CoV-2 variants that have been identified among Connecticut residents as of yesterday:

Variants of concern

  • B.1.1.7 (first detected in the United Kingdom): 2,765 cases
  • B.1.351 (first detected in South Africa): 28 cases
  • P.1 (first detected in Brazil): 93 cases
  • B.1.427 (first detected in California): 62 cases
  • B.1.429 (first detected in California): 144 cases

Variants of interest

  • B.1.526 (first detected in New York): 852 cases
  • B.1.526.1 (first detected in New York): 202 cases
  • B.1.525 (first detected in Africa and Europe): 17 cases
  • P.2 (first detected in Brazil): 7 cases
  • B.1.617 (first detected in India): 0 cases
  • B.1.617.1 (first detected in India): 0 cases
  • B.1.617.2 (first detected in India): 2 case
  • B.1.617.3 (first detected in India): 0 cases

Substitutions of Therapeutic Concern

  • E484K: 854 cases
  • L452R: 436 cases

Weekly update of the Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 Alert Map: 8 of 169 municipalities in red zone alert level

The Connecticut Department of Public Health released its weekly COVID-19 Alert Map, which indicates that 8 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 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 afternoon and can be found within the Data Tracker page of the state’s coronavirus website.

Governor Lamont signs executive orders as part of ongoing response to COVID-19 pandemic

Governor Lamont today signed two executive orders as part of his administration’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. They include:

  • Executive Order No. 12A: Revises the executive order issued Tuesday updating the state’s mask and face covering protocols to further clarify details on mask requirements for high-risk and high-density settings.
  • Executive Order No. 12B: Terminates several previously issued executive orders, extends the duration of others until June 30 or July 20, 2021, and makes minor revisions to some of the orders that are being extended.

Connecticut Department of Labor reinstates weekly work search requirement effective May 30

Connecticut Department of Labor Commissioner Kurt Westby announced that the work search requirement for unemployment benefits will begin again on May 30, 2021. The mandatory work search requirement was waved on March 19, 2020, as part of Connecticut’s public health response to the pandemic. The waiver allowed unemployment claimants to receive benefits even though they were not engaged in work search activities that are normally a condition of unemployment benefits.

Connecticut joins more than two dozen states in restoring the work search requirement and, beginning May 30, 2021, will require claimants to document their efforts to find a job.

For more information, read the press release issued by the Connecticut Department of Labor.