Mass vaccination sites close across the state as efforts shift to communities
By ERIN EDWARDS, ROB POLANSKY
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HARTFORD, Connecticut (WFSB) — Wednesday is the last day to get a COVID-19 vaccine at some of the state’s mass vaccination sites.
Hartford HealthCare said it is doing away with big vaccine sites and focusing on community efforts.
It held a news conference on Wednesday morning.
By the end of Wednesday, it’ll pack up the huge site at the Connecticut Convention Center and start focusing on its mobile clinics.
This comes after six months and 500,000 vaccines at the Convention Center.
The move comes nine days after it closed its mass vaccination sites in New Britain and Torrington.
The closure doesn’t mean vaccine availability is decreasing.
Hartford HealthCare said it will be ramping up mobile efforts and working to bring the vaccine to where it’s needed.
The vaccine site changes came as Gov. Ned Lamont announced that he wanted to improve the vaccination rate.
A new COVID variant continues to spread nationwide.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the Delta variant now accounts for about 1 in every 5 new COVID cases.
With the Delta variant on the rise, many wondered if people could be seeing pandemic restrictions make a comeback in Connecticut.
“That’s my answer to ‘do I have to wear a mask, what are the contingency plans about this,’” Lamont explained. “If we can get another 10 percent of our people vaccinated, I’m not worried.”
Community Health Center said it is also closing its mass clinics on Wednesday, including ones in Middletown and East Hartford.
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