Lamont: ‘Good news’
Hospitalizations decrease ahead of Wednesday’s reopening
As Connecticut businesses begin to reopen Wednesday and residents leave their homes after months of isolation, the state will likely see an increase in cases, making increased testing and contact tracing crucial to the next steps of curbing the coronavirus, a top health official said Tuesday.
Scott Gottlieb, the former commissioner of the federal Food and Drug Administration and a Westport resident, said that “as we reopen, we know there is going to be an uptick in cases, we expected that.”
“We are going to see more hospitalizations,” he said. “We are going to see cases grow. And that’s why it’s important to have a staged reopening, as this state is doing, and look at the data, and lean heavily on those casebased interventions to try to reduce the number of cases that we see increase as a result of our increased social interactions.
“It’s very important as individuals that we continue to practice all those measures that we know reduce spread — wearing masks in public where we can, good hygiene, remembering to socially distance where we can. Those kinds of individual practices done on a large scale have a dramatic impact on an epidemic spread.”
Gov. Ned Lamont said at his daily press briefing Tuesday that COVID-19 hospitalizations were continuing to decline and that fewer than 5% of the daily coronavirus test results re
ported by the state had come back positive.
“It is good news given where we thought we should be the day before May 20, which is our phase one reopening day,” Lamont said.
There were 314 new lab-confirmed coronavirus cases reported, bringing that total to 38,430 since the pandemic began, and 23 additional deaths, increasing that number to 3,472. Hospitalizations declined by six to 914, but Lamont highlighted the fact that fewer than 5% of the 7,841 test results received since Monday were positive.
“That’s the lowest we’ve seen, I think, in a couple of months,” he said.
The state has exceeded its goal of 42,000 tests a week in time for Wednesday’s reopening and is “now north of 50,000” tests a week, Lamont said.
Gottlieb, who served under Trump, and Ezekiel Emanuel, vice provost for global initiatives and chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, joined Lamont at his daily press briefing. They both expressed hope that cases would decrease during the summer months, but cautioned against a resurgence in the fall.
“My hope is as we move into the summer, there will be a seasonal effect here,” Gottlieb said. “There is a seasonal effect here. We don’t know how profound it’s going to be, but respiratory diseases and coronaviruses don’t typically propagate as efficiently in the summer.”
“We are probably going to be lucky during the summer … the documented number of transmission cases outdoors is extremely low,” Emanuel added. “That does mean that in the fall, come October, the whole situation is going to reverse and we cannot let our guard down, let the coronavirus reignite.”
In other news: t Lamont ordered all U.S. and state flags to return to full-staff at sunset Tuesday. Flags have been flying at half-staff since April 8 to mourn those who have died and been affected by COVID-19. t State Insurance Department Commissioner Andrew Mais issued a reminder late Tuesday that anyone with insurance may receive COVID-19 tests or treatment without any out-of-pocket costs.
“Thanks to recent changes in federal law, employer-based plan sponsors are required to follow suit and remove all cost sharing for testing and treatment for their workers and their families,” Mais said.
Lamont gives local police authority
On the eve of Connecticut’s cautious reopening Wednesday, Lamont has expanded the authority of local municipalities to legally enforce social distancing and other orders when people or businesses do not comply.
Many of the requests from the governor, from wearing masks in public to social distancing, were previously difficult to enforce under state law, but a new executive order Monday broadens law enforcement authority and add to the definition of what is legally considered a public nuisance.
Lamont’s executive order on Monday evening also repeals previous orders and extends a state of emergency in the state through June 20, prohibiting large gatherings and closing numerous facilities, from movie theaters to gyms.
Previously, local authorities have relied on municipal ordinances, unique to towns and cities, as a potential means to get individuals to follow the governor’s orders that he said are issued to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Municipalities were not planning any aggressive enforcement through arrests after the reopening Wednesday, but would rely instead on customers and businesses to follow the order.
The order reads: “state police and municipal police may enforce violations of orders issued pursuant to a civil preparedness or public health emergency and there is a public health need to add additional enforcement capabilities.”
The broad executive order, issued ahead of the first phase of reopening set to begin Wednesday, also defines many businesses as public health facilities and gives the local health director the power to shutter these facilities, including restaurants, clubs and hair salons, until they come into compliance with new reopening regulations defined by the state Department of Economic and Community Development.
Reopening plan faces criticism
Lamont’s reopening plan has been met with growing criticism from those concerned it doesn’t allow businesses to resume operations fast enough. Last week, Connecticut’s restaurant association called on the governor to allow indoor dining beginning the first week of June, while Lamont wants to wait until June 20.
“We understand that each business setting is unique and presents unique challenges. In restaurants, masks must be removed to eat. However, unlike some other settings that may be allowed indoor service, at restaurants there is no physical touching between staff and customers, and the area a customer uses can be completely cleaned after each use,” the association urged.
The situation began to boil over Monday when barbershops and salons, scheduled to resume Wednesday, had their reopening pushed back to June 1. While the move was done in unison with the Connecticut Beauty Association, which said many owners were not ready, it was met with wideranging criticism. In addition to a protest by barbers in New Haven on Tuesday morning, another protest is scheduled for Wednesday at the state Capitol.
An online petition started by a Connecticut barber on Monday had garnered more than 9,500 signatures by Tuesday afternoon, asking for barbershops and salons to reopen right away.
“Those members of our industry that choose to wait due to preparedness concerns should be allowed to remain closed, with any necessary supports, until the next phase of reopening,” wrote Jay Majors, who started the petition. “Reopening is not, and cannot be, one size fits all.”
New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart, a Republican, has questioned Lamont’s decision, calling it “last minute.” The city now has to call all salon and barbershop owners to advise them of the change.
“We’re sitting here and the governor announces that everything will reopen May 20. We’re busting our behinds to get everything open,” said Stewart. “Now we have to go back and say, ‘Just kidding.’ ”
Cromwell Mayor Enzo Faienza said he was “incredibly disappointed” and held a special town council meeting Tuesday night to discuss pushing forward with reopening. The council voted unanimously to allow all businesses in town to reopen immediately, despite Lamont’s executive orders.
“[Too] many small businesses are suffering while big box stores are killing it,” Faienza, a Republican, said in response to a comment on his Facebook page. “I could not sit back and watch as I see the hurt and pain these business owners are feeling.”
The town’s attorney will draft a resolution allowing businesses to reopen if they choose to, which will be sent to Lamont. A spokesman for Lamont did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday evening.
No longer using hydroxychloroquine
Yale New Haven Health hospitals continuously update treatments for COVID-19 and took hydroxychloroquine off the list of potential treatments Monday.
“While we had hydroxychloroquine as a drug to consider for COVID-19, as of this week it has been removed. As a matter of fact it was removed yesterday,” Dr. Tom Balcezak, chief clinical officer for Yale-New Haven Health, said Tuesday. “So we no longer recommend hydroxychloroquine. In fact we have moved it from a possible drug to a not recommended drug.”
Studies of the drug show no benefit in decreasing the severity of the disease or preventing death.
“While hydroxychloroquine has been used for many decades now, not only to treat malaria but to treat rheumatological disorders, we have learned from those decades of experience that the drug also has significant toxicities associated with it,” said Dr. Rick Martinello, medical director of infection prevention at Yale New Haven Health.
YNHH has seen a small number of patients develop complications and because “we haven’t seen any clear benefit, either in our care or research, and because we are very aware of potential risks” it has been removed from the list.