Coronavirus Update-FAQs-Vaccines & Internet and Cell Service & Case Data

January 18^th- The following recently asked questions are of general interest. 

Why is every state creating their own rules?  Why are some vaccinating 65 and up and CT isn’t?  The Federal government chose to leave it up to the individual states to determine their own vaccine plan. Governor Lamont directed CT DPH to implement a distribution strategy that focuses on the risk of severe disease and death, with an emphasis on health equity and health disparities. 

During the pandemic the rates of death has been greatest for those aged 80 and above, followed by those 70 and above. The death rate per 100,000 for those aged 80 and above is 12 times that of those aged 50-59.  The age adjusted death rate for black residents is 2.25 times that of white residents. Non-white Hispanic age adjusted death rate is 2 times that of white residents. 

When can people aged 65 and up receive the vaccine? Last Thursday, CT DPH Commissioner Gifford stated a timeline and details for the other groups in Phase 1B will be available in one to three weeks.  

When can people with condition(s) with increased medical risk receive the vaccine and how do they document a condition(s)? See answer to the previous question. The forthcoming information will include to document your condition. 

Can you pre-register in VAMS?  I heard Redding was pre-registering residents aged 65 and above. Why isn’t Wilton?  No, you can’t pre-register in VAMS.  Redding and other small communities are collecting email and phone information to inform residents when registration becomes available. Wilton doesn’t need to collect contact information, because we have an email alert system through which most of you receive this update.   

Will Wilton be hosting more vaccine clinics?  Yes, assuming we receive a weekly supply of vaccines, we expect to hold a weekly vaccine clinic.  Should we receive more vaccines than expected, a second clinic is possible.  As we did today, we will send an email when the clinic is available for signup. 

When will teachers be vaccinated?  Teachers are in Phase 1B.  Timeline TBD.  Wilton Health Director, Wilton’s Vaccination Team and BOE personnel have developed a plan for when teachers are authorized.. 

I heard other districts authorized their teachers to receive the vaccine.  Why isn’t Wilton?  Some towns misunderstood the rules and mistakenly authorized their teachers and other staff.  In most cases, those appointments were cancelled. Yesterday, Commissioner Gifford sent an email to all municipalities noting the errors and making it clear that teachers were not yet eligible for the vaccine.

I made my first appointment, but the system wouldn’t allow me to book my second appointment. Am I doing something wrong?   You can’t book your second vaccine appointment until after you have received your first vaccination.

The VAMS online system is confusing.  I need help!  Here are some options:

• The two most frequent problems are with entering your email and responding to the question of whether you have registered.  Enter your email in lower case letters. Answer “no” to the question about if you are registered. They really asking if you are already registered for an appointment, not if you are registered with VAMS.
• Stephanie Rowe of Social Services created a step-by-step VMAS registration video. The link to the video is here.  
• Contact Sarah Heath or Stephanie Rowe for individualized assistance.
• Ditch the online registration and book your appointment by calling 877-918-2224.  

Wilton needs more choices for internet and improved cell service.  Is the Town doing anything about this?  Yes.  We are working on several fronts within Wilton and with our partners at the Western CT Council of Governments (WestCOG):

• WestCOG has been pressing the State to take a more active role with internet and cable providers and expand broadband services.  At a recent meeting with first selectmen, the Governor said he will recommend broadband expansion initiatives as part of this legislative session.  
• Director of Land Use Management/Town Planner Michael Wrinn, Town Counsel Ira Bloom and I were members of a WestCOG Task Force, which developed recently released recommendations to prepare for and facilitate 5G expansion into our communities.  
• The Board of Selectmen has agreed to a proactive approach to ensure the 5G roll out in Wilton is consistent with our needs and efficient for vendors. We are speaking with consultants to help us implement recommendations from the Task Force.
• We are actively encouraging mobile communication companies to make additional infrastructure investments in Wilton.  
• Area first selectmen and I are investigating municipal-owned fiber.  We are meeting with municipalities and counties across the country that offer services through municipal-owned fiber or provide municipal-owned fiber to service providers.  After learning more, we hope to engage state leaders.  Just a year ago. the idea seemed far-fetched, but the collective experience of our residents during the pandemic put the concept in a new light. 

Vaccine and Case Data:

Today, because of the holiday, the CDC did not report updated numbers for vaccines shipped and administered:

The following is data, as of 8:30 p.m. last night, from today’s CT DPH report versus Friday’s January 15^th report:

• Wilton:  6 new cases reported. 706 cases pandemic-to-day (PTD) 
• Statewide:  6,703 new cases.  4.85% of the 138,085 new tests reported were positive.  230,125 cases PTD.
• Fairfield County:  1,356 new cases.  67,081 cases PTD.
• Hospitalized Patients:  Statewide, 1,114 with a 16-net patient increase. Fairfield County, 276 with a 28-net patient increase.
• Deaths:  Statewide, 6,670 with 76 new deaths.  Fairfield County, 1,851 with 31 new deaths.  Wilton, 45, with no new deaths.  

The following chart shows the distribution of known cases by age for the previous periods and the current 7-day period.  Today’s new know cases ranged in age from 6 to 82.

With the uptick in cases and the variant strain of the virus found in Connecticut, please exercise extra caution and behave as if you have the virus and as if those around you do as well.

5 W’s

• Watch your distance
• Wear a mask/face covering when you can’t maintain 6 feet of distance whether indoors or outside
• Walk, run or bike to the right in single file when passing another person on the NRVT, sidewalks and trails
• Wait to host indoor gatherings
• Wash your hands

If you have a question, please email me at lynne.vanderslice@wiltonct.org

Lynne Vanderslice

First Selectwoman