COVID-19

For more information, please contact the Office of Emergency Management by email at OEM@WestHartfordCT.gov or call 860-561-8310.

The Town has acquired 230,000 adult N95 masks from the State of Connecticut.  Weather dependent, public distributions of N95 masks have been held weekly at 100 Mayflower Street.  Masks will be made available to businesses, senior centers, public and private schools, and daycare facilities. 

Announcements are made on our home page under Town News, also sent by email and text messages to residents, and posted to our Facebook and Twitter accounts. If you have not already done so, sign-up to receive our notifications.

Any resident with a disability who needs a reasonable accommodation to obtain the masks should contact the Town of West Hartford’s Office of Emergency Management at 860-561-8310 or written requests for a reasonable accommodation may be sent to Robert.McCue@WestHartfordCT.Gov.

Our mask distribution program is designed to provide assistance to persons and businesses who cannot obtain a source for masks on their own. Masks are currently available at most pharmacies, retail stores and online.

WEST HARTFORD, CONN. (February 8, 2022) – The Town of West Hartford will lift its local universal indoor mask requirement at midnight on February 9, 2022 due to the steady decline in COVID-19 cases for the past four consecutive weeks.  The universal indoor masking requirement in public schools will remain in effect pending further review by the School District. 

“We do need to be realistic that we are not going to eliminate or reduce COVID to zero,” said Mayor Shari G. Cantor.  “We are comfortable that with the current and decreasing infection rates and with the Governor and neighboring communities lifting their mask mandates, a community mandate is no longer necessary as a mitigation tool.  We encourage mask wearing and recognize that N-95 masks are highly effective at preventing transmission – they are widely available to anyone seeking additional personal protection and the Town will continue its distribution of free masks.

“The best way to protect yourself, your loved ones and your community is to be fully vaccinated and, if appropriate, boosted,” Cantor said.

The State Department of Public Health’s most recent report on February 2, 2022 indicated that the state’s positivity rate of transmission dropped dramatically to 4.7%.

West Hartford’s universal indoor mask requirement went into effect on January 6, 2022 when West Hartford COVID cases, as well as every county in Connecticut, were surging due to the highly infectious Omicron virus.

“The Omicron variant accounts for 99.9% of all COVID-19 cases in New England but we are seeing cases fall as fast as they were rising at the end of 2021,” said Aimee Krauss, Executive Director of the West Hartford-Bloomfield Health District. “This is a very good sign.”

In addition, West Hartford is a highly vaccinated community. As a whole, 85% of West Hartford residents age 5 and older are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

“We have been carefully monitoring the transmission rates for West Hartford and our neighboring towns, and we feel we can safely lift the mask requirement at this time,” said Acting Town Manager Rick Ledwith.

On February 9, the Town of West Hartford will no longer require masks in municipal buildings with the exception of the public libraries, Veterans Memorial Skating Rink, Westmoor Park, Elmwood Community Center and Cornerstone Aquatics Center, which will follow West Hartford Public Schools protocols for serving school-age children, and both the Elmwood and Bishop’s Corner Senior Centers.

Health District Director Aimee Krauss reminded all unvaccinated residents to continue to wear masks indoors in compliance with the statewide mask policy that is in effect until the Governor’s executive orders expire on February 28, 2022. Additionally, all residents regardless of vaccination status are required to wear masks in certain settings such as healthcare facilities, facilities housing vulnerable populations, public and private transit, correctional facilities, schools, and childcare facilities.

Individual businesses may choose to have their own policies that require customers to wear a mask in order to receive service.

“It is important to continue to follow CDC’s guidelines. If you feel sick, get tested and stay home,” Krauss said.

Krauss emphasized that getting vaccinated remains the best defense against COVID-19.  “Vaccinated persons are less likely to experience severe effects of the virus nor require hospitalization if they contract COVID-19,” said Krauss.  “Vaccines are widely available at our Health District, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, urgent care centers, area hospitals, and many other locations.”

Eligible Connecticut residents are entitled to a free COVID vaccine. By getting your vaccine, you are protecting yourself, your family and your community.  Children age 5-11 are now eligible.

There are several ways to sign up to receive a vaccination.

Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS)

To do this you must self-register online at ct.gov/CovidVaccine (CT Department of Public Health) website. The registration requires an email address. If you do not have an email, you will need to create one for this purpose.

CT Vaccine Appointment Assistance line 

The second way is to register by phone by calling the CT Vaccine Appointment Assistance line,  877-918-2224 or 211. The phone system is designed to help those who have limited access to technology, or who have language, disability, or other barriers. The help line is open Monday through Friday, from 8:00AM to 4:30PM. It offers a callback option when all lines are busy.

Other Health Providers 

In addition to VAMS, there are over 100 healthcare providers across the state that are offering the vaccine. Providers include UConn Health, Hartford Healthcare, Trinity Healthcare of New England and Yale New Haven Health.

In addition vaccines are now offered at select pharmacies including CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and Rite-Aid. All locations require registration and an appointment – no walk-ins are allowed. The Connecticut COVID Vaccine Portal has a list of all providers. Go to: https://portal.ct.gov/Vaccine-Portal.

Public Service Messages 

Public service messages on the importance of getting the COVID vaccine and the phone number to call are here in English, Spanish and American Sign Language:

• Spanish (30 second ) 
• Spanish (15 second)
• English (30 second )
• English (15 second )
• American Sign Language 

Information on booster shots, who is eligible, and when it is OK to mix and match vaccines can be confusing. West Hartford-Bloomfield Health District prepared this flyer to help answer your questions. Click here for the PDF version.

These two terms are often used interchangeably but there are some very important differences. Read below to find out what shot you can get!

As always, we encourage you to have a conversation with your physician to discuss your individual care plan and to identify the best next steps to keep you healthy! The “Third (3rd) Dose” shot is by appointment only on Wednesdays from 9:00AM to 12:00PM at 580 Cottage Grove Rd, Suite 100, Bloomfield, CT 06002.  To schedule an appointment, please call the Health District at 860-561-7900, x0.  Information is rapidly evolving but additional updates will be added to this site when it is available to us. 

If you need a ride to get the COVID vaccine, ITNCentral CT is offering friendly, affordable transportation to elderly and visually impaired residents. Please call 860-508-9847 for this service. ITN’s office is located at Town Hall. 

Dial-A-Ride also provides transportation its members.

The West Hartford Fire Department keeps an updated database of residents that would need, perhaps, more assistance should an incident occur at their residence. Please complete the online Special Needs Registry form.