- Connecticut Department of Public Health strongly recommends that people in Hartford, New London, and New Haven counties resume indoor mask wearing in public places, regardless of vaccination status
- Recommendation is in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control that people in counties considered at substantial or high risk of COVID-19 transmission
- Guidance comes in response to the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19, which in rare cases can infect and be transmitted through vaccinated people
Summary by Dirk Langeveld
The Connecticut State Department of Public Health is strongly recommending that people in three Connecticut counties resume indoor mask wearing, regardless of their vaccination status, due to a “substantial” risk of transmission of the COVID-19 Delta variant.
The recommendation applies to residents, workers, and visitors in Hartford, New London, and New Haven Counties. Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, anyone over the age of 2 is urged to wear a mask in public indoor spaces.
In response to the spread of the Delta variant, the CDC revised its guidance to encourage indoor mask wearing in counties considered to be at substantial or high risk of COVID-19 transmission. The three Connecticut counties are designated as having a substantial risk of transmission, while the state’s remaining counties are designated as moderate risk.
- In addition, the DPH is recommending that all Connecticut residents, including vaccinated ones, consider wearing a mask in public indoor places if they have underlying medical conditions that put them at high risk for complications of COVID-19 or if they live with high risk or unvaccinated individuals; this includes children who are too young to receive the vaccine
- An executive order from Governor Ned Lamont requiring unvaccinated people to wear masks in public indoor places remains in effect
- The CDC guidance is based on concerns that in rare cases, vaccinated people can be infected with the Delta variant and transmit it to others
- The latest state data shows that COVID-19 cases have been increasing in Connecticut, with the latest daily test positivity rate standing at 2.35 percent and hospitalizations increasing by nine to 112
- A total of 1,133 breakthrough cases have been recorded in Connecticut, or 0.06 percent of more than 2 million vaccinated residents
- The Connecticut DPH says vaccination remains the most effective way to curb the spread of COVID-19 and encourages people who have not yet been vaccinated to do so
