June 5 marked a significant date in our fight against COVID in eastern Connecticut. It was the last day that Hartford HealthCare operated the mega vaccine clinic at Foxwoods Casino. Based on declining community demand and other available access points, the mega site is no longer needed. Over the last 90 days, we have administered more than 42,000 vaccines at this location to thousands of grateful teachers, teenagers, first responders and Connecticut residents.

Working with the Foxwoods team to transform an empty space into a major vaccination site in the eastern part of the state has been a pleasure. Thank you to everyone who dedicated their time to work at the clinic, to the Foxwoods team for being agile and adapting with us, to the National Guard personnel that helped support the clinic and keep us safe, to those who provided sign language services for the deaf and to all the residents of our region for choosing to get the vaccine.

If you have not yet received your vaccine and would like to do so, we will continue to offer access at our hospitals. W.W. Backus Hospital in Norwich will offer the vaccine daily from 8 to 10 a.m. in a clinic within the Emergency Department.

Matthew Kaufman

Regional vice-president for operations, HHC

Norwich