CT Coronavirus Potential Restrictions More 'Tailored': Lamont

CONNECTICUT — Future Connecticut coronavirus restrictions wouldn’t simply be a rollback to the state’s phase one reopening in May, but instead would be a more tailored approach, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Thursday.

“I think it’d be different this time,” he said. “I think right now we’re watching the metrics we’ll have more to say in a week or so.”

Lamont hasn't released specific coronavirus metrics that would lead to tighter restrictions, but said they would be related to hospital capacity.

"If things continue to get worse instead of better, and we think we have to do more in terms of protections we try and do it," he said.

Coronavirus restrictions among Connecticut and its neighboring states are more in sync after states like Massachusetts and Rhode Island tightened their restrictions, Lamont said.

Some of Rhode Island’s current restrictions are noticeably stricter than Connecticut’s as the state has a “pause” until Dec. 21 due to growing coronavirus hospitalizations. Connecticut’s net hospitalizations have ebbed and flowed with a 48-patient drop Thursday, which brought it to levels seen earlier in the week.

Gyms and indoor recreational facilities like bowling alleys are closed in Rhode Island while they remain open with capacity limits in Connecticut.

Indoor dining is at 1/3rd capacity in Rhode Island and tables are limited to immediate household areas while in Connecticut it is at 50 percent capacity.

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Vaccine remains on target

Connecticut officials anticipate that the first batch of Pfizer coronavirus vaccines will be administered to health care workers on Dec. 15 so long as the federal approval process remains on track.

Related: Here's When You'll Likely Receive The Coronavirus Vaccine In CT

CVS and Walgreens are handling on-site nursing home vaccination clinics which are expected to start Dec. 21, Lamont announced Thursday. The governor was generally complimentary of the federal government’s logistics coordination for the vaccine.

“I think the federal government is getting this as right today as they got it wrong with PPE eight months ago when they said states are on your own…” he said at a news conference.

UPS and FedEx are handling the shipping logistics of the vaccines to hospitals that have ultra-cold refrigeration capacity.

Dose estimates remain stable at around 32,000 doses in the first weekly shipment, said state COO Josh Geballe. The exact number of doses fluctuates slightly.

“So far we’ve heard nothing but optimism from the manufacturers about their ability to continue to scale up in the coming months,” Geballe said.

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