DPH “strongly recommends” that people follow CDC guidelines on indoor masking – NBC Connecticut

The Connecticut Department of Public Health “strongly recommends” that anyone over the age of 2 wear a mask in indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status, in areas of high COVID-19 transmission, according to recent guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released earlier this week.

The announcement comes after the CDC recommended universal masking in indoor spaces for regions that experience “significant” or “high” levels of transmission of COVID-19. The counties of Hartford, New Haven and New London have reached this threshold, according to the CDC COVID data tracker.

The latest DPH guidelines strongly recommend that people who live, work, or visit Hartford, New London, or New Haven counties follow CDC guidelines for wearing a mask indoors, regardless of their immunization status.

It also encourages residents with underlying health conditions or who live with high-risk or unvaccinated people to consider wearing a mask indoors, including those with young children who are not eligible for the. vaccine.

The direction of the CDC is not a mandate and it leaves political decisions to state and local levels. Currently in Connecticut, a decree remains in effect which requires those who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to wear a face mask in indoor public spaces where they cannot socially distance themselves, according to DPH.

State officials continue to urge the public to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Connecticut has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, with an estimated 2.3 million people having received at least one dose.

The state was reporting 1,133 breakthrough cases of COVID-19 among vaccinated residents on Thursday, with 27 deaths reported in breakthrough cases. This equates to a breakthrough case rate of 0.06%, DPH said, accounting for 3.2% of COVID-related deaths since February and less than 0.01% of deaths overall.

“Emerging science indicates that with the Delta variant in circulation, in some cases, vaccinated individuals can become infected and subsequently transmit the COVID infection to others. The risk of contracting and transmitting the COVID infection is much larger for the unvaccinated, and immunization remains the safest and most effective way to protect yourself and your community from COVID. Vaccines are readily available in hundreds of places across Connecticut and all eligible people should consider receiving the vaccine if they haven’t already, “Acting Connecticut DPH Commissioner Deidre Gifford noted.