CT Working To Vaccinate 75+ Population Amid Mounting Deaths

CONNECTICUT — State officials and healthcare providers are working to vaccinate as many people 75 years old and older as possible for the coronavirus as deaths continue to mount. Another 41 coronavirus-related deaths were reported, bringing the state total up to 6,594.

CVS and Walgreens have completed the first round of vaccinations at every nursing home in the state.

The state will officially start vaccine appointments for people over 75 on Monday — residents were allowed to make appointments starting Thursday. Some in the age bracket have already gotten the vaccine as the state’s first vaccine phase for frontline healthcare workers and nursing home and assisted living residents winds down.

Around 155,000 people in the state have gotten their first coronavirus vaccine dose and another 16,000 have gotten their second dose.

Residents 80 and older account for nearly six out of every 10 coronavirus-related deaths in Connecticut, according to data from the state Department of Public Health. Around another 22 percent of deaths are residents between 70 and 79 years old.

Connecticut’s goal is to prevent as many coronavirus-related deaths and hospitalizations as possible, Gov. Ned Lamont said Thursday. Supply remains limited from the federal government, though the state will get an additional 50,000 doses next week as a reward for getting the program off to a good start.

The state reported another 1,878 positive coronavirus cases Friday and a positive test rate of 6.2 percent.

Coronavirus hospitalizations saw another decline with 20 fewer patients, bringing the total currently hospitalized to 1,098.

The towns with the most new cases in the past week are:
Bridgeport: 748
Hartford: 693
Stamford: 660
Danbury: 605
New Haven: 596
Waterbury: 590
New Britain: 495
Norwalk: 483
Meriden: 374
East Hartford: 370