EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Much like other parts of the country, Connecticut is beginning to see another rise in COVID-19 positivity.
But, after handling the pandemic for over a year, residents are not letting their guard down.
“I think we just continue to monitor and adapt, and I am really proud our businesses have been doing that,” Manchester Downtown Manager Joy Press said.
With the state's infection rate the highest it’s been in months at 2.71%, Silk City Coffee owner Tammy Gerhard has her mom hat on constantly thinking about safety.
“Right now, we are trying to make sure that we have something that makes everyone feel safe," said Gerhard. "You’ll see we have kept barriers up, we have kept mobile, we have open seating and we are just going to monitor the situation."
Despite Connecticut now having over half the population fully vaccinated, work still needs to be done in some communities like East Hartford.
The town's community’s health director, Laurence Burnsed, said 96% of residents 65 years of age and older are vaccinated. The focus is now the 45% of people 18 - 44 years old who have yet to roll up their sleeves.
“We have made great success in getting as many people vaccinated that have been interested in receiving a vaccine at this point," said Burnsed, "We know there is still more work to do."
Burnsed is also addressing the concerns over the Delta variant, specifically with young people.
He said now is the time to get children 12 and over their shots if they’re going to be fully vaccinated in time for the new school year.
“The Delta variant is not only more transmissible but seems to be a little bit more severe," explained Burnsed. "And we are seeing younger and younger adults getting hospitalized with more severe symptoms."
Watch the extended conversation with Burnsed on myths and misconceptions when it comes to kids and the vaccine:
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.