Gov. Ned Lamont said Wednesday that residents 65 years and older might begin receiving the COVID-19 vaccine “within 10 days or so,” depending on the flow of vaccine into Connecticut from the federal government.
“The rollout is going to be sort of what it was for 75 (years) and over,” said the Democrat, who visited a vaccination clinic in Waterbury. Connecticut has allowed people to sign up for vaccination appointments in multiple ways, including online, by telephone and through various health care providers.
While Lamont acknowledged it could take longer, possibly two weeks, until the 65-plus cohort can get the shot, he noted there has been progress in getting older people vaccinated. In some towns, he said, 80% of residents who are 75 years and older have received their first dose.
Dr. Deidre Gifford, acting commissioner of the state Department of Public Health, said during a meeting of the vaccine allocation subcommittee Tuesday that Connecticut is so far close to administering doses to half of the state’s 75 years-and-older population.
“But we have more work to do, obviously,” she said, noting that officials want to make sure the vaccines are being distributed equitably. Steps are being taken in various communities to reach out to older individuals and make sure they get the shot. In Waterbury, for example, there are plans to begin launching mobile “pop-up” clinics in senior housing complexes on Monday.
Connecticut, meanwhile, has recently seen a slight increase in the number of vaccines it is receiving from the federal government. Lamont said the state is now getting about 55,000 doses a week. Late last month, the state was averaging nearly 47,000 doses a week.
The governor said the state is also being notified three weeks ahead of time as to how much vaccine it can expect. The notice was previously just one week.
“We have much better clarity today than we had a month ago,” said Lamont, who noted the state has the capability to handle many more vaccinations but just needs more supply from the federal government.
He expressed optimism that vaccine production will be ramping up sooner than first expected. As co-chairman of the National Governors Association’s Pandemic and Disaster Response Task Force, Lamont spoke on Wednesday with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, who gave him “great confidence” that both Pfizer and Moderna can increase production within a month or two, instead of six months to a year.
In other coronavirus-related news:
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COVID RELIEF PACKAGE
A group of more than two dozen Democratic Connecticut legislators unveiled a $3 billion state COVID-19 relief plan they maintain is needed to address residents’ immediate economic needs as well as long-standing disparities in the state.
The wide-ranging plan, dubbed “Recovery for All,” calls for large financial investments in municipal aid, preK-12 education, public higher education, health care services and housing.
There are also proposals to provide a one-time $500 stimulus payment to people who lost their jobs during the pandemic; expand the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit program; increase the property tax credit on the personal income tax; and expand eligibility for the state’s HUSKY health insurance program.
Various tax changes would cover the cost of the massive initiative, including a 10% tax on digital ads; a 2% statewide property tax on homes with a market value of more than $1.5 million; a 5% surtax on capital gains, dividends and taxable interest for individuals earning more than $500,000; and higher personal income tax rates for people earning at least $500,000 a year.
The group wants Lamont to declare a fiscal emergency, given the COVID-19 crisis, and allow a vote on whether to exceed the state’s spending cap.
Last week, Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, D-New Haven, called for imposing what he called a “mansion tax,” a one mill increase in local property taxes paid on homes worth at least $430,000. One mill is equal to $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property.
Looney also supports changing the state’s Payment In Lieu of Taxes program to provide cities and towns additional revenue for untaxable property.
Lamont, who is scheduled to unveil his two-year budget proposal on Feb. 17, said he Wednesday he believes the state is in a relatively good financial position right now and that he doesn’t think it’s necessary to declare a fiscal emergency, noting the state currently faces a projected budget surplus and has $3 billion in reserves.
While that doesn’t mean Connecticut is “out the woods” financially, he said, the state still needs to see how much more federal COVID aid it will receive and how the economy rebounds. Lamont reiterated that he doesn’t believe this is the time to talk about large tax increases.
Rep. Robyn Porter, D-New Haven, the co-chair of the General Assembly’s Labor and Public Employees Committee, said while she understands Lamont has declared he doesn’t support broad-based tax increases, “extreme conditions call for extreme measures” by state policymakers. “This can’t be business as usual because there’s nothing normal about the way people are living right now,” she said.
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