Stamford, CT – Stamford, CT – The City of Stamford will be hosting a mask giveaway event at Rippowam Middle School on Sunday, January 16 from 12:00 PM until 4:00 PM, or as supplies last.Residents will be provided with 5 masks per person, and there will be surgical and N95 masks available. The giveaway will be set up as a drive-through event, although residents may walk or bike up as well. 

This giveaway comes at a time of increased COVID-19 rates in Stamford, statewide, and nationwide with many Hospital admissions.

• Stamford’s 7 day average of cases per 100,000 residents per day remains in the high 200s (275).  Something not seen until the arrival of Omicron.
• Across Connecticut, the vast majority of towns are currently seeing pandemic highs in case rate. The state’s largest and most dense cities, including Stamford, have been particularly susceptible to the increased transmissibility.
• While remaining significantly less deadly than previous waves, the state has seen the highest rate of COVID-19 positive fatalities and hospitalizations since winter of 2020/2021.
• The number of severe outcomes among unvaccinated individuals is still significantly greater than that of those vaccinated. Regardless, there has been an increase in positive and hospitalized cases among those who were vaccinated.  Specifically, those who received their vaccination early in 2020 and have not since received a booster shot.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend masking as an important tool for reducing the spread of COVID-19. In addition, new guidance allows some individuals who tested positive for COVID or have symptoms to end isolation after five days with improving symptoms. Continued mask wearing and symptom monitoring is required for five additional days.

The city is currently under a mask mandate for indoor public spaces to help curb increasing rates and protect our most vulnerable residents.

“My administration is focused on ensuring that Stamford residents have the tools they need to protect themselves and their loved ones from COVID-19 through increased vaccination and testing capacity and mask usage.  We expect that the new guidelines from the CDC will increase the demand for masks by residents. To fill this important need masks are being provided to residents at giveaway events such as the one we are hosting on Sunday,” said Mayor Simmons.

In addition to masking, vaccination continues to be the most effective tool to prevent severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. The protection provided by the initial COVID vaccines decreases over time, but with a booster this protection has been shown to increase greatly.

To ensure the highest protection against COVID-19, boosters are recommended by the CDC at the following times:

• 5 months from the second dose for Pfizer or Moderna recipients
• 2 months from the first dose for J&J recipients

People ages 12 and older who are fully vaccinated are able to receive boosters according to the FDA and CDC.  For those who are not yet vaccinated, it’s not too late to get vaccinated.

“Combined with vaccination efforts, universal masking can be a powerful tool for reducing the spread of COVID-19. We are encouraging residents to think of their mitigation strategies – vaccination, masking, social distancing, testing – as tools in a toolbox that they can use to protect themselves against COVID-19,” said Stamford’s Medical Advisor Dr. Henry Yoon.

There are vaccine sites throughout the city, with no appointment, insurance, or identification needed. Residents are encouraged to take advantage of these resources to protect themselves from COVID-19. 

“We are grateful for the availability of vaccines for our residents, regardless of health insurance or immigration status. Together we can work to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our city by getting vaccinated, boosted and masking indoors,” asserted Acting Director of Health Jody Bishop-Pullan.

An updated calendar of vaccine sites is available here on the city’s website.