Covid cases are on the rise — including for Mayor Justin Elicker, who tested positive on Saturday, is still working remotely, and spent the weekend fighting a fever, cough, and stuffy nose.
In a text message and email alert sent out at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Elicker advised New Haveners about an increase in Covid-19 cases in New Haven.
In fact, he wrote, “I recently tested positive for COVID myself.”
“As a reminder, if you have COVID symptoms – such as a fever, cough, congestion, fatigue or chills – please stay home and take a COVID test,” he continued. “If you test positive for COVID, stay home and away from others for 5 days after a positive test result or the onset of symptoms. After staying home for 5 days, wear a mask for 5 additional days. You should also tell anyone you’ve been in close contact with that you tested positive so they can closely monitor their health as well.”
The mayor advised New Haveners to “continue to follow all public health guidelines, consult with your doctor as needed and take the necessary precautions in order to help protect you and your loved ones, including staying up to date with your COVID vaccines. To find a COVID vaccine provider near you, go to vaccines.gov.”
Statewide, Covid cases have risen as of late, with hospital admissions related to Covid reaching 118 last week, up from 103 the week before and 66 in all of July, according to CT NewsJunkie’s Christine Stuart.
In a followup phone call with the Independent on Tuesday, Elicker said he started feeling Covid symptoms last Thursday, tested negative, and then tested positive on Saturday.
It was “kind of a sick weekend,” he said, as he had a fever, cough, and stuffy nose. He described his experience of Covid this time around as “pretty similar, less severe” than when he came down with Covid in January.
He said he hopes to be back at work in person “in the next couple days.” But he’s continued to work remotely even as he’s been sick. “The show must go on.”
He added that he is “definitely feeling a lot better now” than this weekend. And he noted how, if people are feeling sick, they should make sure to test.
I wish Mayor Elicker a speedy recovery but his alert was devoid of where to access free Covid testing, an issue with most non Medicaid health insurances no longer paying for home tests that cost $10 a pop and the state run test sites long closed. Is Fair Haven Community Health Care still offering free PCR testing? The federal government is apparently quietly offering free Covid tests to uninsured people in a poorly promoted program. https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/community-based-testing-sites/index.html
Also not included was how to get free N95/KN95/KF94 masks and how to access treatment, an issue for those who don’t have primary care physicians and/or health insurance. NYC has a hotline where you could call if you tested positive for Covid and want Paxlovid. I wish our Health Department had taken on a bigger role with respect to Covid treatment.
It seems like the state and city are no longer interested in supplying testing, N95 masks, and mobile vaccine clinics though Senator
Blumenthal recently pushed for more federal money for Covid testing.