NORTH BRANFORD, Conn. — The Connecticut Department of Public Health along with the East Shore District Health Department is investigating a COVID-19 outbreak linked to a large family gathering.
The outbreak includes people who were identified with COVID-19 variant strain B117, which was first isolated in the United Kingdom. The outbreak is also linked to the North Branford hockey team, which is being quarantined. Both the East Shore Health Department and North Branford School officials are watching the contacts in quarantine,
“While positive cases of COVID-19 have been decreasing since the large increase after the holidays, we need to remind our residents to stay vigilant, especially in light of the COVID-19 variant that is now present in Connecticut,” said Michael Pascucilla, Director of Public Health for the East Shore District Health Department.
Governor Ned Lamont said during his COVID-19 press conference, Connecticut had recorded eight more positive tests for the B117 variant. As of the time of this writing, 16 people in the state have tested positive for this specific variant. Connecticut continues to see a decline in hospitalizations and positivity rate in the last several days.
Director Pascucilla said, “We are in a position where we are starting to see some hope with the number of vaccinations on the rise, and while we thank our community for their assistance in following the COVID-19 precautions, we will only be successful if all people remain diligent in following the recommendations to slow the spread of the virus. These measures will help protect our community against a widespread outbreak.”
