
State officials are tracking the presence of the more-transmissible Delta strain of the COVID-19 virus, but could not say Friday how its presence here might impact schools when they reopen later this year.
During a Friday morning press conference at Bradley International Airport, Acting Public Health Commissioner Dr. Deidre Gifford said that testing in Connecticut had identified “about 40” cases of the Delta strain of the coronavirus. The strain, which was first identified in India, has recently been flagged as a concern by the Centers for Disease Control.
Some experts expect the strain to become the predominant form of the virus over the summer as cases are generally low. On Friday there were 70 new reported cases of COVID-19 and a positivity rate of 0.45%. The total number of people hospitalized around the state dropped by four to 33 patients.
Gifford said the new strain is still a concern because it is “probably more infectious and maybe more deadly than the previous variants” and poses a greater threat to people who are unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated.
“Get vaccinated so that we don’t see the Delta variant begin to take hold here in Connecticut or elsewhere in the United States and also, if you start your series, please complete it three or four weeks later because the Delta variant does seem to have some properties that it’s not as effective after only one dose,” Gifford said.
The variant has some public health officials concerned about transmission among students when schools reopen in the fall. Currently, there is no vaccine approved for use among children younger than 12 years old. During a Friday appearance on CNBC, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and occasional unofficial advisor to Gov. Ned Lamont, said additional precautions in schools like social distancing and mask requirements might make sense when they reopen.
“I think it might be a prudent thing to do heading into the fall when we don’t know what the situation’s going to look like and whether or not this new Delta variant is going to lead to the resurgence that’s being modeled right now. If it does we’re probably not going to see it until we start to get into September,” Gottlieb said.
Throughout the pandemic, Lamont has required masks in Connecticut schools. The order prompted a lawsuit from a group of parents and an organization which opposed the requirement. Although state courts have upheld the school mask mandates and other pandemic precautions issued by Lamont, it is unclear whether he will require them in the fall. At the moment, the governor’s emergency authority is set to expire next month.
In a text message, Max Reiss, the governor’s chief spokesman, said fall guidelines would be developed with the Public Health Department.
“[W]e continue to consult with DPH on the mask mandate,” Reiss said.
Support authentic, locally owned and operated public service journalism!
Maura Fitzgerald, a spokesperson for the department said the agency was working with the Education Department to craft mask-wearing guidelines for the fall. That guidance will incorporate expected updates from the CDC before the school year, she said.
“We’re watching the variant and more generally we’re watching the COVID-19 conditions in the state,” Fitzgerald said. “The presence of this variant and the other variants are a good proof-point for why kids need to get vaccinated.”
More COVID-19 Coverage

Connecticut To Get FEMA Funds for COVID Testing Sites
Connecticut will receive more than $2 million in federal emergency funding to pay for the operation of COVID-19 testing sites during a six-month period last year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Monday. The roughly $2.15 million will come from FEMA’s public assistance grant program and will be used to reimburse state funds used to…
Keep reading
COVID Transmission Increases in CT
As of Friday afternoon, Connecticut’s test positivity rate was 13.71% and there were 323 residents hospitalized with the virus. On Thursday, the Department of Public Health reported that 158 of Connecticut’s 169 municipalities qualified for the state’s “red alert” distinction for COVID-19, which is triggered when a community records at least 15 daily cases per…
Keep reading
Connecticut At High, Medium Risk of COVID Transmission
Connecticut’s COVID-19 test positivity rating was 10.35% on Thursday and all eight Connecticut counties were in the medium yellow or high orange categories on the CDC’s community spread map. Those community maps, created by the CDC in February, are supposed to tell people to take preventative steps such as masking and testing. Hartford, Middlesex and…
Keep reading
Advocates Make 11th Hour Pitch For Compassionate Release
Hartford, CT — Advocates seeking compassionate release from prison during public health emergencies like COVID rallied at the state Capitol hours before they saw their legislation die without action in either chamber. At the rally on Wednesday, protestors and advocates were demanding action from legislators to pass a bill that addresses COVID in prisons. The…
Keep reading
Legislating During COVID-19
The legislative session ends in three days now, that’s shorter than the amount of time someone should quarantine under CDC standards if they have COVID-19, so how are lawmakers coping? Sen. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, started experiencing symptoms two weeks ago and tested positive for COVID-19. Luckily the session wasn’t scheduled until last Tuesday, but…
Keep reading
Study Shows Union Nursing Homes Had Lower Rates of COVID-19
A recent study published by Health Affairs found that unionized nursing homes had lower resident COVID-19 mortality rates. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing home residents have accounted for roughly one of every six COVID-19 deaths in the United States. Nursing homes have also been very dangerous places for workers, with more than…
Keep reading
Senator Murphy Tests Positive For COVID
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy announced on Twitter that he tested positive for COVID-19. “FYI after feeling mild symptoms overnight, I tested positive for COVID this morning. We’ve done the contact tracing and let people know. It’s a bummer, but I’m sure if I wasn’t fully vaccinated I would be feeling a lot worse. So remember…
Keep reading
COVID Cases Tick Back Up
Most of Gov. Ned Lamont’s executive orders, which were extended to April 15 by the legislature, have now expired just as Connecticut’s test positivity rate for COVID-19 is creeping back up and students at UConn are being asked to mask up again, starting today. According to the Department of Public Health, Connecticut recorded 3,939 positive…
Keep reading
House Green Lights Extension of COVID-19 Laws
The House gave final passage Wednesday to a package of four concepts that had been executive orders and are now law. Previously, the concepts were executive orders to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keep reading
Tong Tests Positive For COVID-19
Attorney General William Tong has tested positive for COVID-19. He is experiencing mild symptoms and quarantining at home.
Keep reading
Lieutenant Gov. Tests Positive For COVID-19, Days After Gov
Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz tested positive for the COVID-19 virus during a routine rapid test over the weekend, her chief staff said in a Monday morning statement. Bysiewicz’s results follow Gov. Ned Lamont, who tested positive late last week. “I have tested positive for COVID-19,” Bysiewicz wrote on Twitter. “Thanks to the vaccine and booster…
Keep reading
Lamont Tests Positive for COVID-19
Gov. Ned Lamont tested positive for COVID-19 Thursday. The results from two rapid tests were positive and he’s awaiting the results of a PCR test, according to this staff. The 68-year-old governor received his second booster exactly a week ago, but has made it through the first two years of the pandemic without contracting the…
Keep reading
New Initiative Allows Same Day COVID Testing And Treatment
Hundreds of pharmacies and federally qualified community health centers across Connecticut are now offering COVID testing and treatments to patients at the same time and place. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, these test-to-treat sites provide antiviral medication to hundreds of locations across the U.S, who then distribute them to patients…
Keep reading
YNHH Top Doc Boosts 2nd Boosters
If you’re eligible to get a second Covid-19 booster shot, go get it. Especially if you’re over 50 and have an underlying medical condition like diabetes that puts you at “high risk” of contracting a severe case of COVID. Read more from the New Haven Independent.
Keep reading
Federal COVID Funds To Limit Tax Relief In An Election Year
Like all states, Connecticut accepted billions of dollars from the federal government for COVID-19 relief, but that money limits how much the state can now consider cutting taxes. It’s bubbling up as a point of contention as lawmakers race to adjust the two-year state budget, which is currently experiencing a record surplus. Connecticut is expected…
Keep reading