For Better Health _ June 2021

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For Better Health THE NEWTOWN BEE, FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2021

C-ONE

State Study Shows Cases Of Fully Vaccinated Residents Contracting COVID ‘Very Rare’ HARTFORD — As Connecticut surpasses the 50% mark for Connecticut residents ages 16 and over who are now fully vaccinated, the Department of Public Health (DPH) has released data on vaccine breakthrough cases that clearly show the COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at fighting the virus. So-called vaccine breakthrough cases occur when a person who has completed their vaccine series becomes infected with the COVID virus. The data show that cases of COVID-19 in fully vaccinated individuals are rare, with less than 0.1% of Connecticut’s fully vaccinated persons reported to DPH as having contracted the virus. Of the 1,467,189 persons who have completed their vaccine series, 242 have been confirmed as contracting COVID-19. Of those, 109 (45%) had no symptoms of the disease. Three deaths have occurred among the 242 vaccine breakthrough cases. All three individuals were confirmed to have had underlying medical conditions and were in the following age groups: 55-64 (1), 65-74 (1), and 75+ (1). Nationally, the CDC has reported a total of 132 vaccine breakthrough deaths. “The main takeaway is that COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective and cases of infection after a person is fully vaccinated are very rare. The best protection against severe illness, hospitalization ,and death from COVID-19 is vaccination, and I strongly urge all eligible Connecticut residents who have not yet gotten vaccinated to do so,” said acting DPH Commissioner Dr. Deidre Gifford. In addition to the overall number of breakthrough cases, DPH also announced that of the 242 breakthrough cases: *159 (65.7%) cases were among women; *58 (24%) cases occurred among persons living in congregate settings, e.g. nursing homes and assisted living facilities; and *32 (13.2%) cases have been hospitalized. “The vaccine is our most powerful tool against COVID-19, but these rare instances of infection after vaccination are a reminder that no vaccine is 100% effective. As long as we continue to see cases of COVID in Connecticut, it is important to continue the use of the other tools at our disposal: masking when indoors and in large outdoor crowds, hand washing, social distancing, and limiting gathering sizes when vaccination status is unknown,” added Gifford.

Stop & Shop Pharmacies Have Same-Day COVID-19 Vaccinations

department said. The fraternities and sororities partnering with the state are Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Delta Sigma Theta, Phi Beta Sigma, Zeta Phi Beta, Sigma Gamma Rho and Iota Phi Theta.

To expand access to COVID-19 vaccinations, Stop & Shop, in conjunction with the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), has announced that all Stop & Shop pharmacy locations now provide same-day immunizations for the COVID-19 vaccine. Customers can still schedule a vaccine appointment on Stop & Shop’s website, but appointments are no longer required. Stop & Shop operates more than 250 pharmacies across the Northeast, each offering either the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine. Customers can now walk in and receive a COVID-19 vaccine at any pharmacy location without scheduling an appointment in advance, though availability of the vaccine to walkins will be determined by supply levels in each store. The vaccine is being administered at no cost. Customers will be required to wear masks, and pharmacists will be equipped with masks, gloves, and face shields. The pharmacy team utilizes the same thorough disinfection protocols for all patients, disinfecting and sanitizing between each patient to ensure the health and safety for all patients. Customers are asked to bring identification and insurance, if applicable, when seeking a vaccine, though insurance is not required for a vaccine and all coronavirus vaccines are free. Flu, pneumonia, shingles, and other immunizations are also currently available to customers at all Stop & Shop pharmacy locations. To find your nearest Stop & Shop pharmacy, visit stopandshop. com/pharmacy. For more information on Stop & Shop’s rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, visit stopandshop.com/covid-vaccine.

“We’re going to certainly prioritize our mass vaccination centers, knowing that these kids often need a parent to help drive them through the mass vaccination,” Lamont said. Meanwhile, mobile vans will be prioritizing young people in communities without access to automobiles. “We’ve been knocking on doors, as you know,” Lamont said. “I think we have a good idea where a lot of these kids are and we’re going to get the vaccine to them.” As of May 6, more than 1.4 million people in Connecticut had been fully vaccinated. Lamont expected 70% of adults to have had their first dose as of May 7, well ahead of President Joe Biden’s goal of July 4. Connecticut continues to experience new cases, with more than 700 confirmed or probable ones since May 5. The number of COVID-associated deaths grew by seven to a total of 8,131. Lamont said “99-plus percent” of those new deaths were people who were not vaccinated. Meanwhile, Gov Lamont said this was the first week in over a year there were no COVID deaths in any nursing homes, where most of the residents have been vaccinated.

State Preparing For Children’s Vaccinations

Telehealth Services To Continue

With the US Food and Drug Administration expected to authorize Pfizer’s COVID19 vaccine for youngsters ages 12 to 15 in the coming days, Connecticut is ordering extra vaccines and keeping its mass vaccination centers in place, Governor Ned Lamont has said.

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Legislation that temporarily extends for two more years telehealth services in Connecticut, which were expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic so patients could safely meet with their physicians, awaits the governor’s signature. Under the bill, which passed unani-

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mously in the state senate on May 6, provisions such as required insurance coverage for virtual medical appointments would continue until June 30, 2023. “The pandemic has changed the delivery of health care in a meaningful way and Connecticut residents have come to rely on telehealth over the past year,” said Senator Matt Lesser, D-Middletown, cochair of the General Assembly’s Insurance and Real Estate Committee. The governor is expected to sign the legislation into law. In March 2020, he issued an executive order that expanded access to telehealth services for people with both private and public health insurance plans. That order was later extended. Among other things, the bill allows certain providers to conduct virtual visits using audio only (telephones) and allows licensed medical providers in other states to provide telehealth services in Connecticut.

Partnership Struck With Black Fraternities

The Connecticut Department of Public Health is partnering with the Connecticut chapters of nine historically Black fraternities and sororities to increase access to the COVID-19 vaccine and combat vaccine hesitancy in minority communities. The department will provide training for a series of free town hall events that will include discussions with well-known doctors, clinicians, and public servants who are members of each of the nine sororities and fraternities and serve as trusted messengers on the vaccines, the

The Biden administration announced the allocation of $21.6 billion in emergency rental assistance to help prevent evictions of people who lost jobs during the pandemic. The administration also announced changes May 7 in the rental assistance program aimed at addressing criticism that the emergency support has not reached many who need the help. This latest round of aid for renters was included in the $1.9 trillion relief package approved by Congress in March. It followed $25 billion in emergency rental assistance in the $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill passed by Congress in December. Administration officials said the additional support was urgently needed because nearly 7 million Americans reported being behind in their rent payments in late April. More than 40% of those renters worry that they could be evicted over the next two months. Among the changes announced by the administration Friday, government agencies implementing the rental relief program will be required to offer assistance directly to renters if landlords choose not to participate. Also, the waiting time for delivering the assistance to renters has been cut in half if landlords decide not to participate in the program. Gene Sperling, the White House coordinator of the American Rescue Plan, said that the administration’s goal was to get rental assistance to people who need it as quickly as possible. “We need to make sure that as we implement these emergency funds that we are nimble enough to address growing needs,” Sperling told reporters at a briefing. “Basic housing security is fundamental to the dignity of all Americans.” A federal judge in Washington on May 5 struck down the nationwide moratorium on evictions that had been imposed by the Trump administration last year and extended by Biden until June 30.

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A new $150 million, multi-year initiative to invest in Connecticut businesses, with a major focus on fledgling small businesses located in communities hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, was unveiled on May 6. The Department of Economic and Community Development hopes the private sector will match that funding and coinvest in entrepreneurs, small businesses, and start-ups, Commissioner David Lehman said. “We think there’s a real opportunity to make this initiative even larger and have the state drive it, but with a significant amount of co-investment capital from corporations and philanthropists,” Lehman said. The state’s $150 million initiative, dubbed the Connecticut Fund, includes $75 million in state bonding and $75 million from the state’s share of federal COVID-19 relief funds. At least half of that money will be directed to businesses owned by minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and veterans. The Connecticut Fund will provide “flexible” financial help to businesses, including grants, low-cost debt, equity, and funding for training and technical assistance, Lehman said.

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Foxwoods Resort Casino has announced that it will be lifting most of its COVID19 protocols this month. The casino, which has had only a portion of its slot machines running to facilitate social distancing, said it will be turning on all of those machines and slowly ending capacity restrictions on table games, restaurants, theaters, events, retail shops, and other amenities. “With the exception of face masks, all protocols will be lifted by or before May 19, aligning with Connecticut’s plans,” Jason Guyot, the casino’s president and chief executive officer, said. “We will closely monitor our approach but are ready to introduce a safe and more relaxed ‘next normal’ environment for our guests and team members ahead of summer.” Foxwoods officials said about 70% of its employees have been vaccinated.

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