City Officials Urge Residents To Get Vaccinated

STAMFORD, CT — Stamford Mayor David Martin gave his weekly COVID-19 update on Tuesday night, and once again urged residents to get vaccinated so the city can reach the 70% vaccinated threshold.

Case numbers continue to decline and vaccination rates continue to climb, Martin said.

As of Tuesday, Stamford was experiencing six cases per day on a seven day moving average. As of last week, 63% of Stamford's population had at least some coverage against the coronavirus, and Martin said that number is probably higher now.

More specifically, 89% of those age 65 and up have full vaccine coverage, up 1% from last week.

Seventy-one percent of residents age 45-64 have full coverage, up 3% from last week. Similar to last week, the biggest increase came in the 15-44 age group, as 48% of that population now has full coverage, an increase of 5% from a week ago.

Martin said that age group is vital in reaching the overall 70% number and herd immunity.

"This is where we really need to make progress to get to 70%. Let's hope some of those young people can get out there and get vaccinated. It helps make certain they're safe, their families and friends are safe, and that we're all safe," Martin said.

At Stamford Hospital as of Tuesday morning, there were four COVID positive patients being treated, with zero in the Intensive Care Unit for the third straight week. Martin cited an article that appeared in the Stamford Advocate that explained most recent CT COVID hospitalizations are people who have not been vaccinated.

Ted Jankowski, Stamford's Director of Public Safety, spoke about the ongoing canvassing campaign the city is undertaking.

"We are out there with individuals, our community health workers, and they're going out to neighborhoods, they're knocking on doors, they're there to speak about the positives of the vaccine and to answer any questions for residents," Jankowski said.

There are vaccination sites near where the canvassing is occurring, so residents can easily get their shots if they choose to do so, Jankowski said.

Jankowski thanked Stamford residents for their efforts so far in getting vaccinated, and he urged them to spread the word to others who haven't gotten their shots yet.

"What I love about Stamford residents is that they do hear our messages, they listen, they make a decision and we've seen a lot of residents out there getting vaccines. However, we need to make sure we continue to get the message out there," Jankowski added.

There will be 10 walk-up vaccination sites on the East Side, West Side, and Downtown, from now until June 12. There will also be the normal permanent locations for residents. For a full list and schedule, click here.

"We're climbing and as we climb with our vaccinations, the number of cases are dropping. We're seeing a lot of the excitement as we open the parks and people open their businesses, and there's indoor and outdoor dining," Martin said. "Get your shot, protect yourself, protect your family, protect the community."