Coronavirus: CT Sets More Limits On Social Gatherings

HARTFORD, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont said he is asking Connecticut residents to limit social gatherings to just five people and he said that should underscore how serious we need to be regarding the importance of social distancing at keeping the coronavirus in check.

“This is really important,” Lamont said, while adding that this is a vital step toward keeping young people safe and preventing them from passing the virus to others.

Lamont issued an executive order on the measure Thursday night.

Lamont also said he wants all stores including grocery stores to ensure no more than 50 people are in the building at the same time. He said he’s seen several images of folks standing outside the grocery store six feet apart, which he added is great to see.

Previously, Lamont issued an order to restrict social gatherings to less than 50 people and he had also urged folks to stay in groups of ten or less. He took that much further today.

Lamont held a press conference Thursday afternoon flanked by U.S. Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal. The state health department released the latest numbers of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths as a result of COVID-19.

An additional 137 Connecticut residents tested positive bringing the total to 1,012 cases. Currently, 125 people have been hospitalized and there have been 21 fatalities, according to the state Department of Public Health. To date, more than 6,500 tests have been performed statewide.

Health officials report that of the 21 deaths, 13 were in Fairfield County, three in Tolland County, two in Hartford County, two in New Haven County, and one in Middlesex County.

But Lamont said the news wasn't all bad and that the percentage of cases and tests were much lower Thursday. The state had seen several days of 200 or more positive cases per day but todays total was significantly below that number. However, Lamont stressed that the numbers may be volatile and one day doesn't mean a new trend has begun. (To sign up for free, local breaking news alerts from more than 100 Connecticut communities, click here.)

News And Notes

Blumenthal and Murphy said Connecticut residents should receive their $1,200 check from the federal government within a few weeks. Lamont also said the state will be lifting the $0.10 cent plastic bag tax.

There was also a lot of discussion concerning folks from New York City moving into Connecticut recently. There have been reports of state troopers in other states, not Connecticut, stopping people from New York when spotted and Lamont said Connecticut has zero plans to do that. But said that people coming from New York are "much more likely to be infected by a factor of 10." And said he's "ordering" out-of-state residents to self-quarantine if they plan to come to Connecticut.

“If you come to this state, until you know you're healthy, I’m ordering you to self quarantine, how about that,” Lamont said, adding that people coming into Connecticut should self-test, self-diagnose, take their temperature and isolate if they're ill.

Number Of Tests Will Decline

Public health officials said testing will not increase in the near term given the shortage of personal protective gear for nurses and first responders. Lamont also said nurses and health care workers are needed inside the hospitals first and foremost.

Lamont said that residents should self-diagnose. He said anyone with symptoms that include a fever, cough, shortness of breath should "assume" it's COVID-19 and "stay home." He also said that anyone over the age of 60 should stay home as much as possible and rely on family, friends and "trusted neighbors" to run their errands, if possible. He said that "99 percent get better and those who don't, call your doctor."

Lamont said that Connecticut factories are open and that some are doing "fever tests," but urged people to "self diagnose and if there's any chance you have flu-like symptoms, go home and stay home. "

But Blumenthal noted that the federal government's initial “Failure to test has led to a false sense of security."

Town By Town Updated Numbers As Of 4 P.M. Thursday

Andover 0
Ansonia 3
Ashford 0
Avon 4
Barkhamsted 0
Beacon Falls 1
Berlin 6
Bethany 0
Bethel 10
Bethlehem 3
Bloomfield 2
Bolton 2
Bozrah 0
Branford 6
Bridgeport 32
Bridgewater 1
Bristol 2
Brookfield 24
Brooklyn 0
Burlington 1
Canaan 0
Canterbury 0
Canton 0
Chaplin 0
Cheshire 3
Chester 0
Clinton 4
Colchester 1
Colebrook 0
Columbia 1
Cornwall 0
Coventry 3
Cromwell 1
Danbury 69
Darien 14
Deep River 1
Derby 2
Durham 1
East Granby 1
East Haddam 0
East Hampton 1
East Hartford 4
East Haven 5
East Lyme 2
East Windsor 0
Eastford 0
Easton 2
Ellington 0
Enfield 6
Essex 0
Fairfield 16
Farmington 8
Franklin 1
Glastonbury 8
Goshen 0
Granby 0
Greenwich 57

Griswold 0
Groton 1
Guilford 2
Haddam 1
Hamden 7
Hampton 0
Hartford 21
Hartland 0
Harwinton 4
Hebron 1
Kent 1
Killingly 1
Killingworth 1
Lebanon 0
Ledyard 0
Lisbon 2
Litchfield 2
Lyme 1
Madison 3
Manchester 8
Mansfield 1
Marlborough 0
Meriden 8
Middlebury 1
Middlefield 0
Middletown 3
Milford 8
Monroe 4
Montville 1
Morris 1
Naugatuck 6
New Britain 8
New Canaan 17
New Fairfield 13
New Hartford 0
New Haven 32
New London 0
New Milford 6
Newington 10
Newtown 14
Norfolk 1
North Branford 0
North Canaan 0
North Haven 0
North Stonington 0
Norwalk 76
Norwich 2
Old Lyme 0
Old Saybrook 3
Orange 3
Oxford 5
Plainfield 0
Plainville 1
Plymouth 1
Pomfret 0
Portland 2
Preston 0

Prospect 1
Putnam 0
Redding 7
Ridgefield 43
Rocky Hill 9
Roxbury 0
Salem 0
Salisbury 3
Scotland 0
Seymour 5
Sharon 2
Shelton 13
Sherman 2
Simsbury 3
Somers 0
South Windsor 4
Southbury 6
Southington 8
Sprague 0
Stafford 14
Stamford 60
Sterling 0
Stonington 1
Stratford 12
Suffield 6
Thomaston 6
Thompson 0
Tolland 6
Torrington 7
Trumbull 6
Union 0
Vernon 5
Voluntown 1
Wallingford 2
Warren 0
Washington 3
Waterbury 30
Waterford 0
Watertown 1
West Hartford 6
West Haven 12
Westbrook 0
Weston 10
Westport 89
Wethersfield 3
Willington 0
Wilton 17
Winchester 0
Windham 0
Windsor 7
Windsor Locks 2
Wolcott 2
Woodbridge 3
Woodbury 2
Woodstock 2