TikTok Challenge Warning + COVID-19 Test Kits Delayed: CT News

Good Thursday morning Connecticut,

While local officials were holding out hope that the state’s shipment of COVID-19 test kits would make their way to Connecticut overnight, it didn’t happen.

Gov. Ned Lamont's office has notified municipalities that the state's supply of COVID-19 test kits has been delayed due to shipping and warehouse-related issues and that all distributions plans scheduled for Thursday should be canceled.

The municipalities that scrambled to put together distribution plans are now searching for answers. And it’s still unknown if plans for distribution on Friday will happen.

State officials were informed around midnight that the plane bringing the test kits to Connecticut would not arrive overnight, the CT Mirror reported.

Many municipal leaders are frustrated that Lamont’s administration had “overpromised and underdelivered,” according to the CT Mirror. Read more here.

See also:

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The 'whoosh bottle experiment' has been around for years, but the town's fire chief and fire marshal are warning about a new TikTok challenge.>>>Read More.

Walmart Supercenter Closes Store In Middle Of The Day

A Facebook post Wednesday alerted people that the store would "temporarily" close at 2 p.m. for "cleaning, sanitizing" and reopen Friday.>>>Read More.

Connecticut Court Rejects GOP Challenge

State Supreme Court denies challenge for redrawing congressional district boundaries.>>>Read More.

Johnson & Johnson Booster Protects Against Omicron: Report

Johnson & Johnson announced Thursday that two recent studies showed that people who receive booster doses of their vaccine are well protected against severe disease and hospitalization from the omicron variant of coronavirus.

WFSB 3 reported that a real-life study from South Africa showed vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization from COVID-19 rose to 85 percent after a booster dose of the J&J vaccine, even after the Omicron variant was circulating.

“A second, separate analysis of the immune response to different vaccine regimens, conducted by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), demonstrated that a heterologous booster (different vaccine) of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in individuals who initially received the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine generated a 41-fold increase in neutralizing antibody responses by four weeks following the boost and a 5-fold increase in CD8+ T-cells to Omicron by two weeks,” according to a Johnson & Johnson news release. “A homologous boost with BNT162b2 generated a 17-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies by four weeks following the boost and a 1.4-fold increase in CD8+ T-cells by two weeks.”

Read more here.

Here are the traffic conditions across CT's major roadways on Thursday morning/early afternoon:

W. HARTFORD - Crash (3 Vehicle) on I-84 Westbound between Exits 42 and 41. Expect lane closures. Reported Thursday, December 30 at 10:34 am.

ROCKY HILL - I-91 Southbound is congested between Exits 25N and 23 (1.9 miles) because of Crash (2 Vehicle) between Exits 24 and 23. The 2 right lanes are closed. Reported Thursday, December 30 at 10:26 am.

WETHERSFIELD - I-91 Southbound is congested between Exits 25N and 23 (1.9 miles) because of Crash (2 Vehicle) between Exits 24 and 23. The 2 right lanes are closed. Reported Thursday, December 30 at 10:26 am.

STONINGTON - Crash (Tractor Trailer Fire) on I-95 Northbound between Exits 90 and 91. The right lane is closed. Reported Thursday, December 30 at 5:05 am.

FAIRFIELD - I-95 Northbound is congested between Exits 18 and 21 (3.3 miles) because of Crash (Overturned Motor Vehicle) between Exits 19 and 21. The right and center lanes are closed. Reported Thursday, December 30 at 8:05 am.

WESTPORT - I-95 Northbound is congested between Exits 18 and 21 (3.3 miles) because of Crash (Overturned Motor Vehicle) between Exits 19 and 21. The right and center lanes are closed. Reported Thursday, December 30 at 8:05 am.

FAIRFIELD - Delays. I-95 Southbound is congested between Exits 24 and 19 (3.5 miles). Reported Thursday, December 30 at 8:56 am.

This article originally appeared on the Across Connecticut Patch