ANSONIA — City government issued a directive Wednesday asking visitors to wear face masks indoors when visiting public buildings.
The move, posted to the City of Ansonia’s Facebook page and distributed to the press, follows the advice of both the CDC and the state Department of Health. See the flyer at the top of this post for the new Ansonia safety precautions.
It comes as the nation sees an uptick in COVID-19 positive cases thanks to the Delta variant, which is proving to be more easily transmissible than the first COVID-19 strain that entered Connecticut in March of 2020.
Connecticut’s statewide COVID-19 positivity rate was 3.35 percent on Wednesday.
“All eight Connecticut counties are now classified by the CDC as counties with greater than 50 COVID cases per hundred thousand residents over seven days,” according to the state health department.
Children under 12 cannot receive COVID-19 vaccinations. Children who contract COVID-19 do not get as seriously ill as adults. However, children with underlying medical conditions are still at risk.
Some of those underlying medical issues — such as asthma — are more common in children in Ansonia and Derby than other parts of Connecticut. According to the 2016 Valley Community Index, 13 percent of adults and 10 to16 percent of children living in the Valley have asthma.
VACCINATIONS ARE READILY AVAILABLE IN THE NAUGATUCK VALLEY, INCLUDING YOUR LOCAL PHARMACY.
Click here for the state’s ‘vaccine finder.’
The Naugatuck Health District on Bank Street in Seymour hosts vaccine clinics every Friday, according to the NVHD website:
“MODERNA VACCINES AVAILABLE (18+) EVERY FRIDAY 10 – 12pm! NEW CLINIC LOCATION 100 BANK STREET (REAR ENTRANCE OF NVHD BUILDING). WALK-INS WELCOME OR SCHEDULE IN VAMS,” according to the website.
From state Rep. Kara Rochelle’s Facebook page: “You can also call CT’s Vaccine Appointment Assist Line from 8am-8pm, seven days a week, to get assistance with finding a convenient vaccine location: 877 – 918-2224.”
If you’re outside the lower Naugatuck Valley, Griffin Health has mobile clinics happening. That’s where you can get a shot and some freebies, such as tickets to Quassy, Beardsley Zoo, gift cards to Dunkin Donuts and more. To learn about the date, location, and freebies, click this link.
Griffin Health is running clinics at 10 Progress Drive in Shelton and 727 Rubber Ave. in Naugatuck.
“The Shelton location is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, from 7 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, and closed on Sundays. The Naugatuck location is open from 12 to 6 p.m. on weekdays, from 7 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, and closed on Sundays,” according to the Griffin Health vaccination website.
From the CDC:
“If you are fully vaccinated, you can participate in many of the activities that you did before the pandemic.
To maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others, wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission.
Wearing a mask is most important if you have a weakened immune system or if, because of your age or an underlying medical condition, you are at increased risk for severe disease, or if someone in your household has a weakened immune system, is at increased risk for severe disease, or is unvaccinated.
If this applies to you or your household, you might choose to wear a mask regardless of the level of transmission in your area.”
Valley Vaccination Rates
LOWER VALLEY Vaccinations
Percentage Of Entire Population FULLY Vaccinated
(As of July 28)
(Highest to lowest)
Shelton: 61.5 percent
Derby: 60.7
Oxford: 60.4
Beacon Falls: 57.7
Seymour: 57.2 (accidentally omitted Seymour when first publishing, added Aug. 6)
Naugatuck: 53.2
Ansonia: 48.6
Percentage fully vaccinated, ages 12 to 15
Derby: 52.9 percent
Oxford: 42.5
Naugatuck: 33.9
Seymour: 33.8
Shelton: 33.4
Beacon Falls: 34
Ansonia: 22.1
Fully vaccinated, ages 16 to 44
Oxford: 61.5 percent
Shelton: 61.2
Derby: 58.5
Seymour: 55.9
Beacon Falls: 54.6
Naugatuck: 50.1
Ansonia: 46
Fully vaccinated, ages 45 to 64
Derby: 75 percent
Seymour: 71
Shelton: 69
Beacon Falls: 67.6
Ansonia: 64.4
Oxford: 64.3
Fully vaccinated, ages 65 and up
Beacon Falls: 100 percent
Oxford: 100 percent
Naugatuck: 93.5
Shelton: 92.9
Seymour: 87.8
Ansonia: 80.6
