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Lamont has no plans for new COVID restrictions

Gov. Ned Lamont on Thursday issued an order permitting municipal leaders to implement indoor masking requirements.
YEHYUN KIM
/
CT MIRROR
Gov. Ned Lamont told reporters Friday he planned no new COVID mandates.

Gov. Ned Lamont said Friday he has no plans to impose new mandates on wearing masks or showing evidence of vaccination, instead he promoted the coming availability of a voluntary “digital health card” offering proof of vaccination.

“What I want to do is get that digital health card and make it available to every single business, restaurant, store. Let them make the right decision in terms of allowing people into their facility,” Lamont said. “I don’t think we need more mandates than that.”

Connecticut on Friday reported 3,280 new COVID-19 infections detected in 53,948 tests, up from 2,679 infections found in 41,361 tests the previous day. The positivity rate was slightly higher than 6% both days.

COVID hospitalizations had been climbing quickly but then showed some signs of stabilizing in recent days.

“We’re following that carefully. And I was, frankly, a little surprised we went from 200 to 550, just in the last few weeks.”

Hospitalizations for COVID increased by nine to 585 on Friday, well within the capacity of the hospitals and far below the peak of 2,000 in 2020. They increased by just one the previous day.

“So we do have a good capacity in our hospitals. They continue to maintain the elective surgeries,” Lamont said. “But you remember a year and a half ago, we had to throttle some of those elective surgeries back. That’s what I really want to avoid.”

Nationally, the daily average of infections, hospitalizations and deaths have increased, respectively, by 30%, 21% and 18% over the past 14 days, according to tracking by The New York Times.

The governor has required state employees and workers in long-term care facilities to be vaccinated. The state employees can opt instead for weekly testing.

He has ordered the wearing of masks in schools. Elsewhere, masks are not required of vaccinated persons, though venues and municipalities can require them.

“I think the towns are the ones that are taking the lead on enforcing it,” Lamont said. “I think the store and restaurant owners are the ones who know … how to enforce it, the best way to do it. I’m getting them all the tools they need, once we get the digital card available.”

On Dec. 6, Lamont assured the Connecticut Restaurant Association at its annual dinner that he had no plans to ban or restrict indoor dining, as he did in the first surge of infections before vaccines were available.

“You’re staying open,” Lamont said, speaking in a ballroom packed with 1,100 people, few wearing masks. “We’re keeping this open. We’re getting through this together. And I’m looking forward to going to each and every one of your restaurants as soon as I can.”

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Connecticut Public’s journalism is made possible, in part by funding from Jeffrey Hoffman and Robert Jaeger.