Breakthrough infections spike

‘Red zone’ covers most of state as COVID-19 cases multiply

The red alert COVID-19 flare up has spread to the vast majority of the state over the last week. Now 73 towns and cities including Bridgeport, Fairfield, Milford, Stratford, Newtown, Trumbull, Westport, West Haven and the entire Naugatuck Valley are reporting dangerous levels of infections even as the state has the second-highest vaccination rate in the country.

Last week, the state reported that 39 towns experienced 15 infections or more per day per 100,000 residents in the two weeks ending Aug. 7, including Stamford, New Haven and Hartford. The new red zone covers the two weeks ending Aug. 14.

The state also reported that the number of socalled breakthrough infections — cases among people fully vaccinated — reached 5,857 in total as of Wednesday. Those cases are spread evenly among all age groups.

The previously reported number of breakthrough cases, 1,171 two weeks ago, is not comparable to the new number because the method of counting changed to more accurately show those cases.

Separate data released Thursday shows that the number and percent of breakthrough cases increased in July and August but at a slower rate than cases for people not vaccinated.

Connecticut has seen 45 deaths among fully vaccinated people as of Wednesday, the report said, and about one-quarter of residents hospitalized with COVID-19 had been vaccinated before falling ill.

The new figures led Lamont to dramatically broaden the number of people covered by vaccine mandates, including all state employees and all K-12 teachers. Connecticut’s public colleges and universities, including UConn, also instituted requirements for COVID-19 inoculations.

“I think Connecticut has really done very well,” Lamont said in a 53-minute briefing of the sort he held daily in 2020. “We are so much better-positioned than we were as a country and as we were as a state. We’ve got the masks, we’ve got the vaccines, we’ve got the testing capacity and we have over 80 percent of our adults vaccinated. Let’s build on that.”

An additional 23 fatalities were reported for the week, bringing the state total to 8,330 dead in the pandemic — at a recent rate that’s among the country’s lowest, Lamont said.

The state reported 534 new infections Thursday, which was 3.4 percent of those tested. The 7-day positive infection rate is about 3.3 percent.

Connecticut hospitals saw a net decline of four inpatients, resulting in 344 hospitalizations statewide. That is up from 50 one month ago but is well below the 1,269 in the December 2020 peak, and the 1,972 in late-April 2020.

The governor said residents are five times more likely to be hospitalized and suffer complications from COVID if they are not vaccinated. “There are some examples of breakthrough,” he said. “There are nine people who are vaccinated who are in the ICU. That’s nine out of 2.3 million. So, keep things in perspective. And you’re 10 times more likely to really suffer severe complications and go to the intensive care unit if you are unvaccinated.”

Lamont to seek extension of powers

Lamont acknowledged that he expects to request that the General Assembly approve an extension of his emergency powers before they expire on Sept. 30.

“I think there’s no doubt about that,” he told reporters. “Either they give me the authority, or they do it through legislation of their own that says this is what the rules should be, assuming we have an infection rate above a certain amount or whatever parameters you want to put on this. I think it’s easiest if you give the governor’s office some flexibility with narrowly defined health care protocols so that we can react to the delta variant because you can see how much it’s changed just in the last 30 days.”

Republicans in the General Assembly, with minorities of 23-13 in the Senate and 97-54 in the House, are likely to oppose a further extension of Lamont’s powers.

The governor stressed that he does not want a statewide requirement of masks indoors as the coronavirus pandemic continues, because some towns have very low infection cases along with high vaccination rates.

“I want to give people an incentive to be vaccinated,” he said. “Ninety seven percent of everybody 65 and over is vaccinated,” Lamont boasted. “If 12-to-15 can match your grandparents’ vaccination rate, we’re over COVID, so step up and do the right thing. This is how we break the back of COVID.”

Towns team up on mask orders

More towns and cities are teaming up to enact local mask mandates in regional efforts to stop the spread of the virulent delta variant of COVID.

Fairfield, Westport and Easton on Thursday announced indoor mask requirements starting Saturday.

Capitol Region Council of Governments, representing 38 towns and cities in the Hartford area, on Thursday asked Lamont for a statewide mask mandate for all indoor locations.

The group said the request is consistent with updated guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recently encouraged people to return to wearing masks indoors whether they are vaccinated or not. The request came the day after the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments made a similar request to Lamont for its 22 member towns.

“We have some places that have low vaccination rates and I think the mask mandate is very appropriate there,” Lamont said. “We have a lot of places where 80, 90 percent-plus of the people are vaccinated. In those places, I want to give people an incentive to be vaccinated. I think it shows that if you’ve done that the right way, everybody doesn’t necessarily have to wear a mask.”

But he left open the option to reinstate a statewide mask order as he reviews data in coming days.

“Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, none of them have a statewide mandate on masks at this point,” Lamont said. “You’ve got some cities where you have a very low vaccination rate and I can understand why Hartford and New Haven want to take the lead in terms of making sure that everyone within their confines are wearing a mask indoors. You’ve got other places that are 95-percent vaccinated. So I think I’ll give a little more discretion because I think the mayors know their communities pretty well.”