Slowdown In CT Vaccinations A Concern For State Health Officials

CONNECTICUT — The state is the first in the country to have over half of its adult residents vaccinated against the coronavirus, but the current slow down in vaccinations is worrying health officials.

That 50 percent benchmark made an enormous difference in Israel, Gov. Ned Lamont said Monday, and "I think your seeing that same difference in a positive way here in Connecticut."

The governor said the state would be making an "extra effort to convince those who are holding off — 'invincible' — people who don't think they have to get vaccinated, 'This is the time to do it.'"

The people who are hospitalized and dying from COVID-19 are "overwhelmingly ... not vaccinated" said Josh Geballe, the state's chief operating officer.

Geballe doubted that the country would ever achieve herd immunity because "we 're not in a position ... where there is a plan to mandate vaccination for everyone. And therefore there will be pockets of people who choose not to get vaccinated, and those pockets will provide opportunity for COVID to continue to lurk."

The state is allocating $13 million in funding for messaging, which will include phone outreach and even going door to door, Lamont said.

""We're trying everything we can and the number of new people getting vaccinated is not going up like it was a few weeks ago."

The state has administered 1,912,581 1st doses, and 1,393,894 residents have been fully vaccinated. In total, Connecticut has administered 3,192,560 total doses of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the latest data from the state Department of Public Health.

Lamont said he has been purposefully moving the goal posts, and currently aspires for the state to achieve 80 percent of ts population vaccinated.

People are "getting a little bit casual," Lamont said. "Especially young people. That's why it may take a little bit of peer pressure to get people there."

Lamont said the state's fast-out-of-the-gate adoption of the vaccine contributed to the decision to relax much of its virus-related restrictions this past Saturday.

As of May 1, the curfews for restaurants, entertainment venues, recreation venues, and theaters were pushed back one hour, to midnight. Bars that do not serve food can open for service were allowed to open for outdoor service, and the 8-person table limit was lifted outdoors. All the remaining restrictions with the exception of the mask rule, will be lifted May 19. The recommendations from the DPH for indoor and large outdoor event are expected shortly.

The 7-day average is below 2 percent, the first time that has happened in for six months, according to Lamont. Coronavirus hospitalizations, at 342, are also the lowest they have been for half a year, Lamont said.