COVID-19 INFORMATION
The COVID-19 Emergency Declaration ended on May 11. Please click here for the Governor's statement explaining the impact on related services and programs.
We have a limited amount of COVID home test kits available at no cost for Meriden residents. Please call 203-630-4221 to arrange for pick up. If you are homebound and cannot pick up please call 203-630-4288 for assistance.
MERIDEN COVID-19 DASHBOARD - our dashboard will resume in October, 2023. In alignment with the May 11, 2023, expiration of Connecticut’s COVID-19 public health emergency declaration, the state is transitioning its COVID-19 data reporting to the same period it uses under its seasonal respiratory surveillance reporting program, which begins each year in early October and ends in late May or early June. The 2023-2024 reporting period will begin on October 5, 2023.
ABOUT COVID-19:
Most people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, but some people become severely ill.
- Some people including those with minor or no symptoms may suffer from post-COVID conditions — or “long COVID”.
- Older adults and people who have certain underlying medical conditions are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
- Hundreds of thousands of people have died from COVID-19 in the United States.
- Vaccines against COVID-19 are safe and effective. Vaccines teach our immune system to fight the virus that causes COVID-19.
MERIDEN COVID-19 REPORTS:
Starting the week of May 29, reports will be done twice per month and posted at www.meridenhealth.com. Reports will include other seasonal health information.
DO I NEED TO ISOLATE IF I TEST POSITIVE?
Yes! If you test positive for COVID-19 you should isolate away from others, regardless of your vaccination status. The CDC has a great isolation calculator to help you determine how long you need to stay away from others.
If you are exposed to someone with COVID-19, you do not need to quarantine but should still take precautions, including wearing a mask and testing.
Questions? Call our Public Health Educator at 203-630-4288.
TESTING - Effective May 11, 2023:
- Connecticut’s remaining state-supported COVID-19 test sites, which are operating at four community health centers, will end on June 30, 2023.
- The costs of PCR tests for COVID-19 will begin transitioning to traditional health care coverage, similar to the way it is handled for other respiratory illnesses, and covered fully or in part by an individual’s private insurance plan; publicly funded programs such as Medicare and Medicaid; or directly by consumers.
- The costs of at-home, self-test kits for COVID-19 will also transition to traditional health care coverage, in which it is covered fully or in part by a private or public insurance plan, or directly by consumers.
HOME TEST KITS: Do you have a COVID-19 home test at home? Check the expiration date! Many COVID-19 test kits have had an expiration date extension through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Click here for the list of expiration date extensions.
THERAPEUTICS FOR COVID-19 - Effective May 11, 2023
- The costs of receiving treatments for COVID-19 such as Paxlovid and Lagevrio will begin transitioning to traditional health care coverage, similar to the costs one may incur for other drugs and treatments, and covered fully or in part by an individual’s private or public insurance plan, or directly by consumers.
VACCINATIONS for COVID-19 - Effective May 11, 2023
- The costs of receiving COVID-19 vaccines and boosters will begin transitioning to traditional health care coverage, similar to the way these are handled for other types of illnesses, and covered fully or in part by an individual’s private or public insurance plan, or directly by consumers. However, it is anticipated that most private and public insurance plans will continue covering all costs of COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters without a co-pay or cost-share for consumers.
- The federal government plans on distributing all of the remaining COVID-19 vaccines and boosters it currently has in its inventory to vaccine providers (such as retail pharmacies and health care providers), which are then provided to individuals at no cost, until that inventory is depleted or expires.
- The Connecticut Department of Public Health will end its mobile COVID-19 vaccination clinic program on June 30, 2023. Any organization that is interested in hosting a clinic before the program ends must submit a request to the department by June 19, 2023, at ct.gov/coronavirus.
- The Connecticut Department of Public Health will end its homebound COVID-19 vaccination program on June 30, 2023. After this date, COVID-19 vaccines and boosters will be provided to individuals who are homebound similar to the way the seasonal influenza vaccine and other preventative health care services are offered. Individuals who are homebound should contact their health care provider to receive these services.
The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and is widely available. Everyone 6 months of age or older is eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccination. Persons 6 months of age and older can get either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. The Johnson and Johnson (Janssen) vaccine is available under Emergency Use Authorization for those 18 years of age and older.
Who is eligible for the updated booster (bivalent)? Click here for the most up to date CDC guidance.
CONTACT TRACING/CASE INVESTIGATION:
As the State of Connecticut is winding down COVID-19 response activities, our office will be following suit and will not longer conduct day-to-day contact tracing efforts after May 27, 2023. We will, however, continue to conduct surveillance to identify clusters of cases. If you have tested positive and have questions please contact our Public Health Educator at 203-630-4288.
USEFUL WEBSITES:
Looking for more COVID-19 information? Here are some website to consider. Before you consider vaccine information on the Internet, always check that the information comes from a credible source and is updated on a regular basis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
World Health Organization (WHO)