Police called to Connecticut CVS after group from New York shows up for Covid vaccine

Click here for updates on this story

    WATERFORD, CT (WFSB) — Waterford police were called to CVS on Thursday afternoon where 10 people from New York showed up to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Waterford police chief said the people who showed up at CVS were over the age of 70, and somehow had made appointments at that location to receive a vaccine.

CVS, however, denied them, saying they did not meet criteria set by the state.

The group had come to Waterford from Long Island, police said.

Waterford police responded to the location to keep the peace, not to make any arrests.

In a statement, CVS said they are complying with state requirements.

To receive a vaccine in Connecticut, you must meet the requirements of the vaccine rollout phases, and you must either live or work in the state of Connecticut.

The state said the requirements are made clear when you scheduled an appointment.

Millie Persson traveled from Southold, Long Island to Waterford to receive the vaccine on Thursday. She says she qualifies under New York’s rule, but she was directed to Waterford by the CVS website even though she entered her New York zip code during the scheduling process.

“I got a statement on my computer and we’ve been looking and I did that, about a week ago, and every other day I’m getting emails and texts saying, ‘be sure you come in, have your proof, have your cards, everything,'” Persson said.

Persson and her husband took the hour and a half ferry trip to New London on Thursday afternoon, but when she arrived she got a different answer.

“I walk into CVS and they say you can’t do that anymore, they changed the rules,” Persson said.

She was one of the people in the group to be denied.

“You have to live here in Connecticut, or work in Connecticut,” said Governor Ned Lamont. “You’re going to have to show proof of where you’re from and you’re going to have to show proof that you’re over the age of 75.”

Channel 3 reached out to CVS to find out why New York customers are saying its site is directing them to Waterford.

In a statement, they said, “We are following the state of Connecticut’s current eligibility requirements to received a COVID-19 vaccine.”

Following this incident, CVS’ scheduling section of the website was under maintenance.

“We come to Connecticut, we have friends here, it’s not like we’re enemies. We live on Long Island, but I feel it could have been taken care of better,” Persson said.

Channel 3 reached out to see if the vaccines intended for those now cancelled New York appointments were given to Connecticut residents instead. We have not heard back at this point.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.