Covid-19 Update – January 8, 2021

The following is a summary of the day-to-day newly reported data on cases, deaths, and tests in Connecticut. It is important to note that these newly reported updates include data that occurred over the last several days to a week. All data in this report are preliminary, and data for previous dates will be updated as new reports are received and data errors are corrected.

County-by-county breakdown of current COVID-19 hospitalizations:

For a series of interactive graphs and maps that provide additional data, including metrics related to age, gender, and race/ethnicity, as well as data broken down by every town and city in Connecticut, visit ct.gov/coronavirus and click the link that is labeled, “Data Tracker.”

Two Cases of COVID-19 Variant Confirmed in Connecticut

Public health officials in Connecticut have confirmed that the first two cases of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 have been detected in the state. This is the same variant initially discovered in the United Kingdom.

The two individuals are between the ages of 15 and 25 and both reside in New Haven County. Both individuals recently traveled outside Connecticut – one to Ireland and the other to New York State – and both developed symptoms within 3 to 4 days of their return. Genetic sequencing of the virus has confirmed that the two cases are unrelated. The individuals’ specimens were collected earlier this month and subsequently tested positive.

To determine if the U.K. variant is present in Connecticut, the State Public Health Laboratory (SPHL) started an enhanced surveillance testing strategy last week. The SPHL is working with Yale and Jackson Laboratories to conduct genomic sequencing on portions of COVID-19 positive specimens submitted to the SPHL by clinical diagnostic laboratories in the state. The genomic sequencing of the individuals’ samples was conducted by Yale, and the SPHL was notified when the UK variant was discovered.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health has notified the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the cases.

Both persons were interviewed by contact tracers soon after they were diagnosed and their close contacts were identified at that time. They are in the process of being re-interviewed by public health officials in light of the identification of the UK variant as the cause of their illnesses. One individual has completed their self-isolation period, and the other is self-isolating at their home and will remain there until they are 10 days past the onset of symptoms and they are symptom free.

The U.K. variant of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.1.7) is widely assumed to be associated with increased transmission and it is associated with a steep rise in COVID-19 cases in the U.K. It is not, however, assumed to be more deadly, nor is it expected that it will have a significant impact on vaccine effectiveness. Personal protective measures, such as mask wearing and distancing in public, will still limit the spread of the variant.

The variant has so far been detected in 27 countries and five other U.S. states. These include Ireland and New York, where the two individuals recently traveled.

Data updates on vaccine administration in Connecticut

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

• First doses administered: 99,929
• Second doses administered: 1,805
• Total doses administered: 101,734

All of the doses under this first phase of the state’s COVID-19 vaccination program are being administered to people in the healthcare workforce, and residents and staff of long-term care facilities, including nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

The Lamont administration is anticipating that all of the nursing homes in Connecticut will have completed administering the first dose of the vaccine to their residents and staff by Friday, January 8.

Weekly update on the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes and assisted living facilities

The following documents contain the weekly data regarding each of the nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Connecticut that have reported positive cases of COVID-19 among their residents. The data is presented as it was reported to the state by each of the facilities.

Weekly update of the Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 Alert Map: 164 municipalities in red zone alert level

The Connecticut Department of Public Health today released its weekly COVID-19 Alert Map, which indicates that 164 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 only municipalities in the state that are not in the red zone this week are Canaan, Colebrook, Kent, Union, and Warren, all of which are in the gray alert level.

The red zone indicates municipalities that have an average daily COVID-19 case rate over the last two weeks of greater than 15 per 100,000 population. The orange zone indicates those that have case rates between 10 to 14 cases per 100,000 population. The yellow zone indicates municipalities that have case rates between 5 and 9 per 100,000 population, and those indicated in gray have 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 around 4:00 p.m. and can be found in the Data Tracker page of the state’s coronavirus website at ct.gov/coronavirus.

Weekly update on hospital capacity in Connecticut

The following document contains weekly data regarding hospital capacity in Connecticut. This report is issued each Friday.

CT DCP warns Connecticut residents of potential stimulus check scams

Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) warns Connecticut residents to be on the lookout for potential scams involving the second round of stimulus checks from the federal government.

Stimulus checks from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) began arriving this week for many people after the federal government enacted a $900 billion economic stimulus package, the second in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

DCP warns that bad actors looking to steal Americans’ personal information and money might not be far behind.

Here are some tips to prevent falling victim to a scam artist:

• The federal government will not ask you to pay money upfront to receive a stimulus check. No fees. No charges.
• The federal government will never call to ask for your Social Security number, bank account number, or credit card number. Anyone who asks for this personal identifying information is a scammer.
• No matter how the payment is disbursed, only a scammer will ask you to pay to receive it.
• Some people will receive the payment in the form of an Economic Impact Payments (EIP) prepaid card. The card is not a scam, and there are ways to cash or use the card without fees.

Anyone who receives a suspicious phone call, email, or text message, can report it to the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection at dcp.complaints@ct.gov.

Governor Lamont Announces Connecticut’s COVID-19 Contact Tracing App Has Been Activated on More Than One Million Mobile Devices

COVID Alert CT, Connecticut’s COVID-19 exposure notification app, has been activated on more than one million mobile devices – reaching roughly one-third of the state’s population, which is among the highest activation rates in the country. Apple and Google have reported that public health benefits start to be realized when 15 percent of the population enables the feature.

The app, released in November, allows users to receive anonymous notification on their mobile devices if they have been in close proximity to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. This means being within 6 feet for a total of 15 minutes or more in a 24-hour period over the past 14 days. Those who receive a notification will not be told who the person was who was near them because no personal information is shared. Upon receiving such a notification, users are prompted to call the state’s contact tracing team. The app also works within similar apps that have been activated in other states, and it is available in multiple languages.

Here’s how to activate the app:

• Instructions for Apple devices: On Apple devices such as iPhones, this feature is already installed on all devices operating iOS 13.7 or later but must be manually turned on by the user in order to function. To activate this feature, Apple users must go to Settings, select Exposure Notifications, and then select Turn On Exposure Notifications. From there, users should select United States and then Connecticut.
• Instructions for Android devices: On Android devices, this feature must be downloaded as a separate app. It is free for all users. To download the app, visit the Google Play store and search the keywords “COVID Alert CT” or click here.

For more information on how COVID Alert CT works, visit ct.gov/covidalertct.

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