Additional At-Home COVID Test-Kit Distribution in Hamden Tomorrow

COVID
January 7, 2022
We just received an update from the Town of Hamden that they added a distribution site for rapid test kits and KN95 masks to community partners TOMORROW, Saturday, January 8 from 10AM - 2PM at Hamden Middle School, 2623 Dixwell Ave. Public access times may vary slightly at each distribution point.

More details on this additional distribution site, and regular COVID-19 updates can be found below.
 
***Additional COVID Test Kit Distribution Site in Hamden Tomorrow***

Vehicles will not be allowed on premises until 10AM.

Tests and masks will be available until supplies run out. This distribution is for Hamden residents. The State has asked that we give preference to vulnerable populations which would be the elderly and those with comorbidities. High risk people are a priority and patience is greatly appreciated.

Tests will be limited to 1 kit per vehicle. Each kit contains 2 iHealth® COVID-19 Antigen Rapid tests. Please be prepared to provide identification. A state ID or utility bill is sufficient. Please wear your mask.

Tests are best utilized when a person is symptomatic. An asymptomatic person may not have enough viral load for the test to register.

KN95 masks, when worn properly, prevent the airborne spread of COVID. Please continue proper handwashing and maintain social distance when possible. The Omicron variant has proven to be very transmittable.

The current rate of infection is now over 20%. We believe that the speed at which Omicron is going through the nation and our community means that we will get through this quickly. We currently have many employees that have tested positive and many more will test positive. Please be patient and understand that services may suffer temporarily due to staffing shortages.

Please get vaccinated. Get boosted. 80% of the people hospitalized are not fully vaccinated. We know that the vaccine provides the best protection against the severe symptoms of COVID.

For further information, please contact Acting Deputy Chief of Staff, Alexa M. Panayotakis, at (203) 287-7009 or by email at apanayotakis@hamden.com.

 
Update: January 7, 2022 Connecticut Responds to COVID-19

Of the 1,810 patients currently hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, 1,218 (67.3%) are not fully vaccinated.

For the week beginning December 26, 2021, unvaccinated persons had a 3.3x greater risk of testing positive for COVID-19 compared to fully vaccinated persons.

For the week beginning December 26, 2021, unvaccinated persons had a 17.2x greater risk of dying from COVID-19 compared to fully vaccinated persons.

Data on COVID-19 associated deaths is updated once per week every Thursday. The most recently reported total number of deaths is 9,281.

Governor Lamont signs executive order on COVID-19

Governor Lamont today signed an executive order related to the declarations of public health and civil preparedness emergencies that he enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Executive Order No. 14D enacts the following provisions:

  • Flexibility to provide for adequate healthcare resources and facilities: Modifies certain statutes, regulations, rules, and policies related to the certificate of need process to enable an increase in licensed bed capacity in healthcare facilities for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. This is similar to an order that was issued at the initial outbreak of the pandemic.
  • Practice before licensure for certain healthcare profession applicants and graduates: Modifies certain statutes to permit healthcare graduates to practice prior to licensure for the duration of the public health and civil preparedness emergencies. This is similar to an order that was issued at the initial outbreak of the pandemic.
  • Temporary permits for certain healthcare providers extended: Extends the duration of certain temporary permits for critical healthcare workers such as respiratory care practitioners and eases certain permit and supervision requirements for physician assistants and advanced nurse practitioners. This is similar to an order that was issued at the initial outbreak of the pandemic.
  • Participation in resident physician assistant program prior to permit issuance: Modifies state statutes to allow a person to participate in a resident physician assistant program in a short-term hospital that provides a postgraduate medical education program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education without a license or temporary permit or a training permit issued by the Department of Public Health, provided that the hospital administrator documents that the person is to be appointed a resident physician assistant in such hospital and has satisfied certain requirements. This is similar to an order that was issued at the initial outbreak of the pandemic.
  • Temporary suspension of physician assistant supervision restrictions: Modifies state statutes to suspend the supervision requirements for physician assistants authorized to practice in the State of Connecticut. This is similar to an order that was issued at the initial outbreak of the pandemic.
  • Temporary suspension of in-person supervision requirement for advanced practice registered nurses: Modifies state statutes to suspend the requirement that a physician, medically directing the prescriptive activity of an advanced practice registered nurse who is prescribing and administering medical therapeutics during surgery, must be physically present in the institution, clinic, or other setting where the surgery is being performed. This is similar to an order that was issued at the initial outbreak of the pandemic.
  • No employer charge for sequestration expenses: Relieves individual businesses and nonprofits from the cost of preserving Unemployment Insurance Extended Benefits despite a slight reduction in federal funding for those benefits.