HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Connecticut officials announced Friday they are expanding the state’s COVID-19 vaccine appointment hotline to 12 hours a day, seven days a week.
The expanded hours will begin on Monday. A total of 125 trained workers will answer phone calls and help people book appointments at a dozen locations across the state, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. They’ll be able to book up to 10,000 appointments per week, according to the Department of Public Health.
The phone number of schedule a vaccination appointment is 877-918-2224. Currently, the state is focused on residents who are 75 years and older.
DPH and the United Way have been increasing the number of people answering the appointment hotline and the state’s 2-1-1 information line in recent weeks. Gov. Ned Lamont recently acknowledged that some older residents have had difficulties navigating the online appointment registration system, prompting the decision to beef up telephone services.
“I understand how important that is, especially for those who are older, like myself … sometimes I find even Amazon confusing sometimes,” the Democrat said last month when 80 additional people were enlisted to answer appointment calls. “So we’re making this as easy as we possibly can for you.”
Dr. Deidre Gifford, the acting Department of Public Health commissioner, noted the added capacity on the appointment phone line is important as the state begins to receive larger shipments of doses and prepares to expand Phase 1B to encompass other priority groups, including individuals 65-74, in the coming weeks.
“As supplies of vaccine doses increase, we will be prepared to expand vaccinations at a rapid pace,” she said in a written statement. Vaccination appointments can still be made online.
Officials said language assisted is available for callers and those who are hearing impaired can access the hotline by dialing 7-1-1.
As of Friday, there were more than 1,400 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Connecticut. The number of COVID-associated deaths increased by 29 since Thursday, to a total of 7,214. Meanwhile, the number of hospitalizations declined by 10 to 827. Statewide, the seven-day occupancy average for ICU beds in Connecticut hospitals was 60.7%
In other coronavirus-related news in Connecticut:
ERRONEOUS VACCINE APPOINTMENTS
About 10 people who had made appointments at a Connecticut CVS to get the coronavirus vaccine were ultimately not allowed to be vaccinated because they did not live or work in the state.
The director of the Ledge Light Health District said a site inspection on Thursday at a Waterford CVS found a group from New York waiting to be vaccinated, The Day reported.
To be eligible for the vaccine in Connecticut, a person must be age 75 or older, a medical worker or first responder, a resident or worker at a long term care facility - and live or work in the state.
Police responded to the CVS but said they are responsible for enforcing criminal law, not rules around vaccinations.
“It was ultimately a (Department of Public Health) call, saying that there were people from New York trying to get vaccinated, refusing to leave, so we went there to kind of mitigate the situation,” Waterford Police Chief Brett Mahoney told the newspaper.
First Selectman Rob Brule told the newspaper he had received calls this week reporting that there were out-of-state license plates in the parking lot of the CVS and referred the issue to the local health department.
A spokesperson for CVS Tara Burke told the newspaper that it is the responsibilities of patients to make sure they meet residency requirements when they make an appointment to get vaccinated.
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This article has been corrected to show that the CVS was in Waterford, not Waterbury.
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