Connecticut Updates for 8.19.21: Vaccine Mandate for Educator's & Staff. Today's COVID-19 update in Connecticut: 15,865 tests were administered and 534 came back positive (3.37% rate) 344 patients are currently hospitalized (decrease of 4) There have been 23 additional deaths since last Thurs.
“I think the vaccine mandate is necessary now because I see what’s going on in Louisiana, Mississippi and Oregon and Alaska and Israel. The more people who are vaccinated, the less targets there are for Delta or the next generation of variant to find a willing receptacle. I think it keeps us safer and let’s face it, we tried a lot of incentives and the vaccination rate was not going up the way it should. I want to keep our state employees safe, our teachers safe and thought now is the time to do it,” Lamont said on Thursday.