Lamont Pledges No New Mask Mandates as COVID-19 Fills Beds

CONNECTICUT — In the face of a triple-digit increase in hospitalized COVID-19 patients over the weekend, Gov. Ned Lamont doubled-down on his commitment to not institute any new mask or vaccine mandates.

The state Department of Public Health released data Monday showing 837 coronavirus patients occupying beds in Connecticut hospitals, up 101 from Friday's numbers.

Lamont said that Connecticut, which earlier in the pandemic was in the top tier of states when it came to key COVID-19 metrics, had dropped to the "middle of the pack" in hospitalizations, and 13th nationwide in infections.

"Connecticut's got a bit of a bullseye on it right now," the governor said during a news conference late Monday afternoon. States in the Northeast are currently suffering the most from COVID-19 infections, with the South entering the winter months relatively unscathed — a reversal of fortunes from the summer.

The Nutmeg State shares the coronavirus crosshairs with neighboring New York, where Gov. Kathy Hochul last week instituted a mask mandate for all indoor public places, unless the venue requires proof of full vaccination against the coronavirus. Lamont said that "some of the states that have the most restrictions" have been hardest hit by the latest wave of the pandemic, and noted that "you can't stop (the spread of the virus) with a lot of additional restrictions," doubting law enforcement officials could enforce such a statewide mask mandate.

Both Lamont and Dr. Manisha Juthani, commissioner of Connecticut's Department of Public Health, said they believed the definition of "fully-vaccinated" should now include a booster shot, but neither had plans to make that official, deferring instead to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"I can't afford to lose any nurses in nursing homes or nurses in hospitals, and if there is trepidation about a third dose, then I have to take that into account," Lamont said. There have been 153 terminations of state workers due to non-compliance with the mandate, according to Connecticut Chief Operating Officer Josh Geballe on Monday.

"What we know with omicron is that it is highly infectious," Juthani said. "It will continue to spread." As with delta, the unvaccinated are the most at risk.

Despite the spike in hospitalizations — "the only (COVID-19 metric) I really watch carefully" — Lamont said he is not worried about Connecticut's capacity to manage the omicron spread. The governor said he has consulted with the executives from hospitals in the state who have assured him their 7,500 beds will be sufficient.

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CT pauses enforcement for some state employees

Connecticut is pausing its enforcement of the mandate requiring state employees be vaccinated or tested regularly, with the exception of health care workers, according to Lamont. The break will free up capacity at facilities in anticipation of increased demand for COVID-19 testing.

Speaking on CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Friday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious-disease specialist, said there is "no doubt that optimum vaccination is with a booster."

On Sunday, Fauci said the omicron variant now accounts for 50 percent of coronavirus cases in parts of the country, almost assuring it will shortly become dominant over the deadlier delta version. Speaking on CNN’s "State of the Union," Fauci predicted a "a tough few weeks, months, as we get deeper into the winter,” forecasting big spikes in the numbers of cases, hospitalizations and coronavirus-related deaths nationally.