From our State Senator, Norm Needleman.
(March 20, 2020) — On Friday afternoon, Governor Lamont announced that 35 new cases of COVID-19 were tracked in Connecticut out of 194 total cases. Of those 194 cases, Lamont said, 40 of them are currently hospitalized. There have also been four fatalities due to COVID-19, all of them in Fairfield County, he added. The steady increase of these numbers, he said, is both due to the spread of COVID-19 in our communities and because of an increased number of available tests. At the beginning of the outbreak, he said, Connecticut could only process 20 test kits per day; today, that rate is closer to 1,000 per day.
As the hospitalization rate is likely to increase, the Governor said the state is focused on ensuring hospital and health care workers have access to personal protective equipment, and advocated for companies and members of the public with access to masks, gloves and other protective equipment to contact local health care professionals. He also said elective surgeries will be postponed to ensure more medical supplies and resources will be available for future COVID-19 patients.
The state is further working to ensure enough health care professionals will be available, including up to 500 retired or retiring nurses returning to the state’s medical reserve corps. He further said nursing schools are working to get current students on the front lines.
Stay Safe, Stay At Home
Governor Lamont gave details to the state’s “Stay Safe, Stay At Home” policy for the immediate future. He warned individuals over 70 years old to stay home unless absolutely necessary and for workers except for those providing essential services like groceries, pharmacies, gas stations to stay home. Further exemptions include major construction projects already underway and major manufacturers, especially defense-critical manufacturing, though leaders are asked to ensure only necessary staff must come to work and for employees to test themselves for symptoms before and after work.
For everyone else, Lamont advocated to continue social distancing, preventing large gatherings and unnecessary trips outside the home, and for those in public to stay at least six feet away from others.
This is tough medicine for Connecticut, Lamont said, but it is the right medicine to ensure state health care systems can grow to meet demand and to ensure the public can reduce demand upon the health care system. With these steps in place, Connecticut will get through these tough times together.
Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Our Area
Please keep these individuals and their families in your thoughts as this situation continues to develop. There are now seven identified cases of COVID-19 in Middlesex and New London counties, and those numbers are only expected to increase in the next few days.
Two of those cases are in Killingworth, and one each in Clinton, Haddam, and East Lyme. Other cases are have been identified in the Chatham Health District.
In Haddam, the state Department of Public Health reported a man over the age of 70 has a confirmed case of COVID-19. While he is self-isolating, recovering from the infection and is seeing improving symptoms, he has had limited contact with others, which underscores the serious and extremely infectious potential of COVID-19.
Additionally this week, East Hampton confirmed that a person residing in town has contracted COVID-19, with town manager David Cox saying it is likely there are more cases in the community who are not showing symptoms or only experiencing mild symptoms.
The Chatham Health District confirmed multiple positive cases of COVID-19 in Middlesex County, specifically the Chatham Health District. Portland First Selectwoman confirmed a resident of that town has COVID-19 as well. The outbreak is spreading so quickly that these numbers will likely be outdated in just days.
While these emerging cases are concerning, they only confirm public officials’ expectations that COVID-19 is circulating in a widespread manner. It is expected there are more cases of COVID-19 in our region due to the virus having an increased capacity to spread in the public, especially as some people will never show symptoms and not know they are infected. What does this mean? Now, more than ever, we need to follow social distancing, social isolation, proper hygiene and quarantining.
Guidelines to prevent and limit the spread of COVID-19 include avoiding large groups, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advocates limiting gatherings of more than 10 people; washing hands regularly with soap and water or hand sanitizer for at least 20 seconds; not touching faces; and staying home if at all possible. Social distancing will help slow the spread of COVID-19. If you must go out in public, please try to stay at least six feet away from other people as often as possible, and take steps to avoid others. It is difficult to not see loved ones and friends, but we must work together to prevent further spread.
If you come in contact with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19, or begin to experience symptoms including a fever, dry cough and shortness of breath, you should practice self-isolation and quarantining. That means staying in one room, unless you need medical attention, for two weeks. Contact your doctor or other medical professionals by phone to determine the severity of your illness and receive medical advice. After two weeks or 72 hours after symptoms are no longer apparent, professionals say you can leave quarantine.
Income Tax Deadline Extended
This week, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the federal government extended the filing date for federal income taxes from April 15 to July 15. It has not yet been announced whether the state tax return deadline will remain April 15 or if it too will be delayed.
Small Business Conference Call Recording
On Thursday, Governor Lamont and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner David Lehman held a conference call with thousands of Connecticut business owners, specifically discussing support for businesses in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. If you were unable to join the call, you can listen to a full recording at the following links:
Health Care Seeking Donations
As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase, putting hospitals under extreme duress, Yale New Haven Health has asked the public for assistance in donating disposable head covers, gowns, gloves, face masks, respirators, face shields, scrubs, shoe-covers, disinfecting materials, hand cleaners and face masks. Those able to make such donations are asked to contact donationsPPE@ynnh.org.
Make Your Neighborhood Safe for Kids
With schools closed across Connecticut, kids are not able to rely on their school or classroom as a safe place to learn and grow. Please do your part in making sure they feel welcome and safe during these stressful times. Asking how you can support an emergency school lunch program or remembering to drive carefully are a couple actions you can take.
New Guidelines
Governor Lamont continues to issue executive orders in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. In his latest executive order:
- Non-critical court operations have been suspended.
- Businesses with active liquor permits are now allowed to sell sealed containers of liquor for pickup to meet the state’s requirement that restaurants operate under carryout and delivery only, as long as those sales accompany a food order. Restaurants cannot deliver alcohol under those guidelines.
- Barbershops, hair salons, tattoo or piercing parlors and related public businesses that require direct client contact must close as of 8 p.m. on March 20.
- Health care professionals can now operate under telehealth, otherwise known as telephone or digital health care operations.
- In light of the increased risk of COVID-19 infection among senior citizens, in-person visits to elderly persons in cases of abuse, neglect, exploitation or abandonment are waived.
- Disclosure time in cases of investigations of abuse, neglect, exploitation or abandonment has been doubled to 90 days from 45.
