Department of Public Health

The new Connecticut Department of Public Health commissioner joins Mike Hydeck to discuss taking on the task of battling COVID-19 in our state.

A Durham doctor accused of signing fake COVID-19 exemption forms for patients voluntarily surrendered her medical license Friday. The Connecticut Medical Examining Board suspended Dr. Sue McIntosh’s license last week. The Department of Public Health received an anonymous complaint accusing McIntosh of providing fraudulent coronavirus vaccine exemption forms through the mail, as well as exemption forms for general vaccines,...

Nursing home workers were called heroes during the pandemic, but are now being asked to meet what the unions and the industry are calling an impossible deadline. “I worked through the whole pandemic as a nurse and at the end we suffer? I even got COVID for three weeks and almost died I was so sick and I’m just...

The Department of Public Health said they will announce expanded walk-up access to the COVID-19 vaccine across Connecticut. DPH officials said this is done in an effort to have as many providers and locations as possible offering walk-up appointments where no appointments are needed. Many providers have been offering walk-up appointments for several weeks as a way to reduce barriers…

In many parts of Connecticut, vaccination clincs are seeing supply match or exceed demand, leading those clincs to look for a new strategy.

The Department of Public Health has issued an emergency order to Apple Rehab nursing home in Rocky Hill for failing to adequately respond after water samples at the facility tested positive for Legionella. According to the DPH, the drinking water at the facility was tested on October 27, 2020, December 1, 2020, January 15, 2021, and March 16, 2021, and…

The workers, members of SEIU 1199, called on the state to help implement a Long-Term Care Workers Bill of Rights, which includes demands for better pay, protection against short-staffing practices, and benefits like vacation and sick time, health insurance and child care.

The state Dept. of Public Health is urging Connecticut residents to remain vigilant by wearing masks and social distancing as the coronavirus pandemic and vaccine rollout continue.

The state Dept. of Public Health is urging Connecticut residents to remain vigilant by wearing masks and social distancing as the coronavirus pandemic and vaccine rollout continue. Officials said DPH has moved several Connecticut towns that had been seeing falling or stable COVID-19 case rates back into the Red Alert status, as the average daily case rates has increased statewide…

The Department of Public Health is monitoring several COVID-19 variants as more cases turn up in Connecticut.

The first case of the more contagious South African coronavirus variant has been detected in Massachusetts, health officials said Tuesday. The woman found to have the variant of the virus, B.1.351, lives in Middlesex County and reported no travel, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

The Department of Public Health released data that shows more schools are reaching the CDC herd immunity rate of 95% vaccinated for measles, mumps and rubella at the same time more students are claiming a religious exemption. “It’s a bit of a mixed bag. If you just look at it year-over-year, it seems slightly positive in some areas – in…

The Department of Public Health (DPH) has issued a COVID-19 alert and they are advising people to stay home during Super Bowl Sunday. The DPH is urging Connecticut residents to watch the game with household members only to avoid any spikes in COVID-19 cases. Experts warn that Super Bowl parties could trigger a surge in COVID-19 cases. The alert comes…

Super Bowl celebrations will look different this year at local restaurants because of the pandemic, but they are still looking for ways to satisfy diners’ cravings.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) is urging residents scheduled to get the COVID-19 vaccine to contact their provider to check on the status of their appointments. This comes as vaccine providers across the state may be forced to cancel vaccine appointments scheduled for Monday, Feb. 1 and possibly Tuesday, Feb. 2, according to DPH officials. DPH said they…

Right now, the coronavirus positivity rate and hospitalizations are down in Connecticut. Both metrics are standing at their lowest rates in months and Governor Ned Lamont says the state could be lifting some restrictions this week.

The first case of a COVID-19 variant initially found in the United Kingdom has been confirmed in Massachusetts, health officials said Sunday. The individual, a Boston woman in her 20s, came back to Boston on Jan. 3, where she remained at Logan International Airport for a two-hour layover before flying on to another state, according to the Boston Public Health…

Hospital signage and safety legislation pitched as a response to the tragic 2016 death of Laura Levis became law in Massachusetts on Friday, with Gov. Charlie Baker signing it in a ceremony at the State House. Under the law, the Department of Public Health will implement statewide standards requiring hospitals to improve lighting, signage, wayfinding and monitoring, aiming to ensure…

Massachusetts reported nearly 4,500 new confirmed coronavirus cases Friday, but cautioned that it included reports from the past two days. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health did not publish a daily COVID-19 report on Thanksgiving, which resulted in the extended period of time for new cases to be tallied. Health officials had said they would not publish Thursday’s daily coronavirus…