Lamont: Long-term care facility workers must get vaccinated

Executive order comes amid jump in positivity rates

An executive order issued Friday by Gov. Ned Lamont will require all long-term caretakers and employees in the facilities to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We know that COVID19 presents increased risk of severe illness and death among older adults, particularly those who have chronic conditions and compromised immune systems,” Lamont said in a news release.

“Now that vaccines are widely available and scientifically proven to be safe and the most effective method for preventing hospitalization and death, it would be absolutely irresponsible for anyone working in a long-term care facility to not receive this protection that could prevent widespread infection among those who are most vulnerable from dying of this communicable disease, some of whom for medical reasons cannot be vaccinated themselves.”

The executive order is effective immediately and requires employees of nursing homes, residential care homes, assisted living agencies, chronic disease hospitals, managed residential communities and care facilities for residents with intellectual disabilities to receive their first dose before Sept. 7. After that date, facilities will be fined $20,000 each day they don’t comply with the mandate.

“To date, approximately 55% of all nursing homes in Connecticut have a staff vaccination rate of lower than 75%,” the release said. “Only 21% of nursing homes in the state have a staff vaccination rate higher than 85%.”

Around 33% of COVID19 deaths were residents and staff of long-term care facilities, the release added.

As the delta variant continues to spread throughout the country, and Connecticut has seen a jump in positivity from 0.4% last month to a seven-day average above 3% this week, the Lamont Administration said cases are increasing in nursing homes as well.

“In the past three weeks, there have been 51 resident cases, a sharp increase compared to the six cases reported over the previous three-week period,” the release said. “There have also been several deaths in recent weeks of residents who tested positive for COVID-19, which followed a period of seven consecutive weeks without a death relating to COVID-19.”

Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz signed the executive order.