The COVID-19 story is not about the numbers, but keeping track of the numbers is how officials have been able to monitor their fight to win back normal life.
The CT Department of Public Health has reported that CT has confirmed a total of 299,667 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic one year ago. The state’s most recent daily positivity rate was 3.59%. For Wilton, there were 17 new cases recorded over the weekend (as of Sunday, March 21 at 8:30 p.m., since Friday, March 19).
Wilton health officials confirmed that there has been a “jump in cases for residents aged 45 to 65.”
Ages Wilton Population Mar 16-22 Mar 9-15 Nov 10-Mar 8 0 to 4 5% 0% 5% 3% 5 to 14 18% 6% 32% 12% 15 to 24 13% 24% 16% 20% 25 to 44 16% 12% 11% 20% 45 to 65 32% 53% 37% 32% 65+ 16% 6% 0% 13%
At some point over the past weekend, Connecticut officials administered the one-millionth first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Gov. Ned Lamont announced that in total, 1,042,185 first doses have been administered, and 584,155 people have been fully vaccinated. In all, CT has administered 1,587,762 doses in total.
So far, 53% of CT’s population over the age of 45 has received at least one dose, including:
- 79% of those over the age of 75
- 76% of those between 65-74
- 53% of those between 55-64
- 22% of those between 45-54
In total, 36% of all adults in Connecticut over the age of 16 have received at least one dose. As of now, 16% of the state’s entire population has been fully vaccinated.
Only 1.1% or 38,578 residents received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which continues to be in short supply. Larger supplies are expected at the end of March/early April.
Those who are currently eligible to receive the vaccine in Connecticut include:
- All individuals over the age of 45
- Healthcare personnel
- Medical first responders
- Residents and staff of long-term care facilities
- Residents and staff of select congregate settings
- PreK-12 school staff and professional childcare providers.
Eligibility is on track to expand to the final group of adults – all individuals between the ages of 16-44 – on April 5, 2021.
Locally in Wilton, First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice said that Wilton Health Department held the last of the required first dose vaccine clinics for education and childcare workers last week. Vaccine recipients at that clinic included Wilton school bus drivers.
All future Wilton Health Department first dose clinics will be open with appointments available through VAMS. Advance notice of a clinic posting will be made through the Town’s e-alert email system, and as soon as GOOD Morning Wilton has news of a clinic in Wilton with spots available, we’ll notify readers via breaking news alert.
State of Emergency Powers for Gov. Lamont
Connecticut’s State of Emergency expires on April 19, along with the Governor’s emergency powers. Monday, the Connecticut Speaker of the House signaled a vote would be held on Thursday, March 25, to extend the Governor’s emergency powers through mid-May. Vanderslice said that this extension will allow Connecticut to continue to access FEMA funds and settle anxiety that has been building among residents, businesses and inside town government due to the previous lack of direction.
Vanderslice met with Gov. Lamont on Friday in Wilton, and she said they discussed a number of topics, including Wilton’s current legal requirement to hold an in-person Annual Town Meeting–a meeting that typically includes 450-plus attendees.
“We are hoping for an executive order that will allow us to by-pass the in-person Annual Town Meeting and instead go directly to the Saturday machine vote,” Vanderslice explained, in her nightly update for residents.
She has previously detailed the likelihood of needing to hold any large public meeting in the stadium in order to maintain COVID-19 safety protocols.
Next Monday and Tuesday evenings, March 29 and March 30, the Board of Finance will hold public hearings on the proposed FY2022 budgets and mill rate increase of 2.33%. The notice of the meeting, which includes the components of the mill rate calculation for FY2022 and the two prior years and links to the detailed budgets is available online.
CORRECTION: Some of the numbers in the chart showing COVID cases by age group were incorrect, based on the release from Town Hall. They have since been corrected.