As Connecticut’s COVID-19 case load approaches 300,000, with more than 7,800 state lives lost to the virus, an accelerating schedule for vaccine distributions and generally low recent positivity rates has prompted Governor Ned Lamont to shift a statewide travel ban to an advisory March 19 - the same date vaccine eligibility opens to state residents between the ages of 45 and 55.

During a recent press briefing, Lamont mentioned the date as a target for downgrading strict travel restrictions and related protocols that have been in force for months to advisories. That was confirmed late Thursday.

That news came on the heels of a March 15 announcement that Connecticut’s age-based rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine will be able to proceed on a shorter schedule than was originally anticipated.

The revised schedule, which tentatively plans for the vaccine to expand to all adults over the age of 16 on April 5, comes as the state was informed by the Biden administration that it should anticipate receiving a significant increase in supplies of all three federally authorized vaccines over the next several weeks.

While that was welcome news to Newtown Health District Director Donna Culbert, she said the local clinics will still be prioritizing appointments from oldest on down. She told The Newtown Bee March 18 that virtually all residents over age 62 who registered for local vaccine clinics have received at least their first shot.

“However, on Friday, the vaccine pool will open up to thousands more district members, and we will not be getting thousands more shots,” Culbert said. As a result, she advised residents age 45 and over to register for a local clinic appointment, but to still seek opportunities be vaccinated sooner elsewhere if an appointment is available.

Connecticut continues to rank among the top five states in the nation in the percentage of population that has been vaccinated, according to the governor.

“We have some of the best and most dedicated providers in Connecticut who have been working around the clock to create the infrastructure that will provide vaccines to as many residents as we can as quickly as possible,” Lamont said.

“Based on our discussions with the federal government regarding vaccine allocation, we anticipate receiving more than 200,000 first doses per week by early April. This allotment, combined with our state’s strong execution over the past several weeks, allows Connecticut to significantly accelerate the schedule so that we can equitably and efficiently vaccinate as many residents as possible,” the governor added. “It’s still going to take some time to get the vaccine to everyone who wants it and I urge patience to the greatest extent possible, but over these next several weeks I anticipate that we will have an opportunity to considerably increase the amount administered each day.”

“Thanks to the tremendous work of our vaccine providers, the efforts of the federal government to increase the supply of vaccines to the states, and the decision of the governor to stick with an age-based system, Connecticut has made tremendous progress in vaccinating our residents quickly, efficiently, and equitably,” Connecticut Acting Public Health Commissioner Dr Deidre Gifford said.

‘Don’t Lose Sight’

“As we continue to focus on equity in our vaccination program, this more rapid expansion to younger age groups will give vaccinators and local health and community organizations even more flexibility to reach out and connect with our high-risk communities to improve access,” Gifford said. “As we approach opening our vaccine program to all individuals over the age of 16, it remains important that everyone continue to wear masks, social distance, avoid large gatherings, practice good hand hygiene, and isolate and get tested if sick.”

That advise was strongly echoed by Culbert, who said she was encouraged to see the expansion of vaccinations prompting virus restrictions to be rolled back.

“But we are still certainly seeing new cases,” she said. State health sources confirmed at least 35 new COVID-19 cases in Newtown since this time last week, bringing the local case load total to 1,625. To date, the virus has also taken the lives of 64 Newtown residents.

“So it is important to continue taking precautions, and don’t lose sight of the fact that even if you’re vaccinated, you could still get or transmit the virus to others,” Culbert said.

On March 17, the total of COVID-19 cases reported among Connecticut residents was 294,328, including 273,503 laboratory-confirmed and 20,825 probable cases; 402 patients were hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 at that time, and there have been 7,807 COVID-19-associated deaths registered.

On March 12, the Connecticut Department of Public Health announced that an additional four cases of the B.1.351 variant of COVID-19, commonly known as the South African variant, have been reported in Connecticut, bringing the statewide total number of confirmed cases of this variant to six.

The individuals with this variant are residents of the following towns: Ansonia, two; Danbury, one; Greenwich, one; New Milford, two. An additional 93 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant were reported in Connecticut, bringing statewide total confirmed cases to 174, including two cases in neighboring Southbury, and seven in Oxford.

Vaccine Eligibility Expansion

As of March 15, the state had administered 1,379,497 COVID vaccines, translating to 59 percent of Connecticut’s population over the age of 55 having received at least one dose, including:

*77 percent of those over the age of 75;

*71 percent of those between 65 and 74; and

*40 percent of those between 55 to 64.

In total, 31 percent of all adults in Connecticut over the age of 16 have received at least one dose.

Individuals who are currently eligible to receive the vaccine in Connecticut include:

*All individuals age 55 and older;

*Health care personnel;

*Medical first responders;

*Residents and staff of long-term care facilities;

*Residents and staff of select congregate settings; and

*PreK-12 school staff and professional child care providers.

Going forward, Connecticut’s rollout of the vaccine will proceed as follows:

*March 19: Scheduling opens to all individuals age 45 to 54

*April 5 (tentative): Scheduling opens to all individuals age 16 to 44

The state will work with providers and the Department of Developmental Services to accelerate access for the most medically high-risk individuals under 45 during the month of April.

All eligible individuals in Connecticut who would like to receive the vaccine must make an appointment in advance. Information on making an appointment and finding the closest available clinic can be found online at ct.gov/covidvaccine.

Those without access to the internet can call Connecticut’s Vaccine Appointment Assist Line at 877-918-2224. Assistance is available from 8 am to 8 pm, seven days a week.