CT Coronavirus: Leaders Share Reopening Plan, What Is Needed

CONNECTICUT — Gov. Ned Lamont on Thursday focused on how and when to open up Connecticut as President Donald Trump released his administration's phased-in plan to begin reopening May 1.

Trump left the implementation and timing to the governors of each state. Gov. Ned Lamont led an hour-long discussion on what a reopening may look like and what will be needed to ensure it can happen.

But not much has changed in one key area. No date was given for when Connecticut will reopen its economy. The only date on the books as of now is May 20, when Lamont vowed to make a decision on the fate of schools and nonessential businesses, which remain closed.

While Lamont and his administration didn't issue an opening date, they did make it clear what must happen first.

Here are the key points:

Albert Ko, a professor of epidemiology and medicine and a department chair at the Yale School of Public Health, said there needs to be a decline in coronavirus cases and hospital admissions for 14 straight days. Ko is a co-chair of AdvanceCT, the state's advisory reopening committee.

"We need to ensure we're out of the surge and protecting the hospitals," Ko said.

Connecticut is far from reaching that point. State officials reported an additional 103 deaths on Thursday and 1,129 new positive cases, but the hopeful news centered on the low increase of hospital admissions. Connecticut's hospital admissions grew by just 18 on Thursday, the lowest in weeks.

Ko said the state needs to have the capacity to complete mass testing for anyone who is sick and the ability to trace their contacts and ensure they self-isolate. Also, the state needs an adequate amount of personal protective equipment. Ko and state officials conceded they don't have enough of either, testing or protective equipment, yet. Lamont said he's hopeful that Connecticut will have a lot more protective equipment prior to May 20. Numerous orders have been made.

Another major indicator of when it will be right to reopen is when hospitals have enough capacity to begin performing their normal operations prior to the pandemic, which includes elective surgeries and general care for all non-coronavirus patients.

What will a return to normal look like post-pandemic?

One thing was clear from state officials' news conference Thursday and that is there is no way on May 20 will Lamont snap his fingers and everything will go back to the way it was.

Once Lamont decides the state can start to reopen it will clearly be done in many phases. Officials discussed whether it makes sense to have young adults, who are less susceptible to getting very ill from the virus, return to work first, while older adults remain isolated. They also spoke about whether it is possible for parts of the state, which have reported lower number of cases, to reopen first.

Also some nonessential businesses may reopen first while others may still have a long way to go. Lamont mentioned that it may make sense to open up nail salons and barber shops first by appointment as long as the employee and customer are wearing masks. He said it's possible that Connecticut's "Main Street businesses" may be the first to return.

It's clear that bars and restaurants will be among the last businesses to reopen. Lamont said that Connecticut, New York and New Jersey will have a coordinated response and plan for restaurants and bars to reopen.

What won't change, social distancing

We're 18 to 24 months away from having a vaccine and until that happens, you better get used to social distancing. Lamont and state officials said part of any reopening plan will require social distancing including in the work place.

Again, Ko said the ability to perform mass-testing is the key to a return to work as the disease isn't going away, and social distancing is needed to ensure there are no rebounds or new outbreaks.

Will students actually return to school this year?

Lamont said no decision will be made on the school year for at least two to three weeks. He said he'll wait to have all of the data before making a final decision. The biggest criterion will be the number of new hospital admissions in the state, and he noted Fairfield and New Haven County are seeing a reduction but Hartford County is seeing a big spike now.

Don't miss local and statewide news about coronavirus developments and precautions. Sign up for free Patch alerts and daily newsletters from all across Connecticut.

See also: CT Coronavirus: Deaths, Cases For Each Nursing Home Released

CT Coronavirus: Latest Town-by-Town Numbers Released

Parting thoughts

Lamont said reopening the state is a business decision but "most importantly it's a public health decision."

He said any reopening must be done in a way to ensure there isn't a new surge of cases and that Connecticut keeps its seniors safe.

Indra Nooyi, co-chair of AdvanceCT and the former chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, said officials are working on a plan to reopen Connecticut "as soon and safely as possible." She said it will be a fact-based analysis which draws on public health consequences and a sustainable approach.

"The worst outcome is to open Connecticut and then have to close it down again," Nooyi said.