An image from Gov. Ned Lamont’s COVID-19 update Monday, Nov. 9.
With Connecticut experiencing a second wave of COVID-19 infections, state officials noted the hospital system is in better shape than it was in the spring to handle an influx of COVID-19 patients.
In addition, Gov. Ned Lamont spent much of his daily briefing Monday highlighting the ground-breaking vaccine work happening at Pfizer Inc, the drug manufacturer that has research and development labs in Groton.
The company made international headlines Monday morning when it announced early tests of its vaccine show it is 90 percent effective in preventing COVID-19.
“Today is a great day for science and humanity. The first set of results from our Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine’s ability to prevent COVID-19,” Dr. Albert Bourla, Pfizer Chairman and CEO, said in a prepared statement. “We are reaching this critical milestone in our vaccine development program at a time when the world needs it most with infection rates setting new records, hospitals nearing over-capacity and economies struggling to reopen. With today’s news, we are a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis.”
Some 200 employees in Groton have been involved in making the vaccine, which has several more tests and hoops to jump through before it will be available to the public.
A limited amount of the vaccine could be available in Connecticut’s hospitals to protect the most vulnerable by early 2021, according to The CT Mirror.
Story continues after the document, which advertises free COVID-19 testing.
Griffin Community Flyer Ion by The Valley Indy on Scribd
Lamont also pointed out that three members of President-elect Joe Biden’s transitional COVID-19 task force have connections to Connecticut through the Yale School of Medicine, including Marcella Nunez-Smith.
Click here for the latest COVID-19 tracking report from state government.
More Schools Move Online
Still, COVID-19 continues to challenge Valley families and local schools.
Click here for just-published CDC suggestions for Thanksgiving.
Oxford First Selectman George Temple closed town hall after an employee tested positive for COVID-19, Temple said in a robocall Monday.
At 6 p.m. Monday, the City of Ansonia announced on Facebook that someone in City Hall tested positive:
“The City of Ansonia is reporting a confirmed case of COVID-19 at City Hall, 253 Main Street Ansonia, CT. Individuals with potential exposure risk have already been notified. Be advised that City Hall will be closed on Tuesday November 10, 2020 for a deep cleaning, and will re-open on a staggered schedule starting Thursday.”
Ansonia Schools Superintendent Joseph DiBacco sent a letter to parents Monday (embedded below) saying that the rise in COVID cases in the state has caused a staffing problem within the district.
As a result, Ansonia Middle School switched to online learning from Nov. 10 to Nov. 18.
The superintendent has sent some seven COVID-19 related letters to parents since late October.
“Please know that Ansonia does not want to shift to full remote learning — but it may be an inevitability,” DiBacco wrote.
The Assumption School, a Catholic school in Ansonia, has also gone online because of COVID-19, parents said.
Seymour Public Schools switched to online learning starting Monday and will continue with remote learning until Nov. 30.
Seymour Public Library announced the public would not be permitted in the building due to COVID-19.
“Due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in the area, beginning Tuesday 11/10 our services will be reduced to contact-less curbside pickup only,” the library announced in a Facebook post. Our hours will still be Monday-Friday 10 – 5. The public will not be able to enter the library. We are so sorry for the inconvenience but we hope everyone stays safe during this time.
Last Thursday Derby, Naugatuck, Seymour, and Shelton all made the state’s COVID-19 “red alert” map. The numbers of towns making the list have been growing each week — from 11, to 30, to 68. The state updates its map every Thursday.
According to data released from the state Monday, 89,686 were tested for COVID-19 between Friday, Nov. 6 and Monday, Nov. 9. Of those, 3,338 came back positive, for a 3.72 percent positivity rate. The daily positivity rate was under 1 percent over the summer.
Lamont and his health officials said the positivity rate is up over the last few weeks, but the increase isn’t going straight up, like a hockey stick. An additional 94 people were hospitalized over the weekend, and 27 people died.
The letter sent Monday to parents in Ansonia is embedded below.
