Coronavirus CT: 6-Week-Old Baby Dies

NEW HAVEN, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont on Wednesday announced a 6-week-old baby from the Hartford area died from the new coronavirus. The baby is believed to be the youngest coronavirus victim in the country.

The baby was brought to a hospital unresponsive last week and couldn't be revived, Lamont said during a news conference.

"This is absolutely heartbreaking," Lamont said. "We believe this is one of the youngest lives lost anywhere due to complications relating to COVID-19. This is a virus that attacks our most fragile without mercy."

Lamont stressed the importance of staying home and limiting exposure to other people.

"It is just a reminder that nobody is safe from this virus," Lamont said. "For those young people who think they are a little more invincible, think again you are endangering your health, you’re endangering your family and you’re endangering anyone you come into contact with."

Lamont announced another 429 coronavirus cases in the state and 16 new deaths. There have been a total of 3,557 cases and 85 deaths in Connecticut so far.

"The trend continues pretty much along the lines of what we've been planning for," Lamont said, while officials added that the "worst" weeks are still ahead this month.

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The Connecticut National Guard continues to build up field hospitals to accommodate a surge in cases. They set up about 200 beds at Southern Connecticut State University Wednesday. Yale New Haven Health will oversee the operation with assistance from the state. SCSU dormitories will be available for health care workers who want to remain isolated from their families to limit exposure to the virus.

The facilities will be used for COVID-19 patients who don't require acute hospital care, but still can’t go home, Dr. Steven Choi, chief quality officer of Yale New Haven Health, said. Patients at the field hospitals can get IV fluids, oxygen and assistance with food. It also allows patients to stay out of their homes and reduce the chance of infecting family members until they recover.

Connecticut is also beefing up its testing capacity again. A new facility is coming online soon and will be able to perform 1,000 tests a day. Lamont is also urging Abbott Laboratories to make Connecticut a priority for its 15-minute rapid COVID-19 test. (To sign up for free, local breaking news alerts from more than 100 Connecticut communities, click here.)

Connecticut, like other states, is running short on personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers.

"I was just on the phone with the other governors, they are all desperate," Lamont said about the PPE situation.

A national shipment that was promised last week was rescheduled for this week, but now is apparently going to arrive in Connecticut next week, Lamont said.

There are 40 employees at the state Department of Administrative Service that are constantly scouring the globe for PPE, the governor said. The state is routinely dealing with delayed shipments.

"It’s a bit of a mess out there," Lamont said. "You are playing with people’s lives, these are life and death decisions."

Lamont announced that an executive order will limit capacity at grocery stores to 50 percent of normal. State officials are also looking into reports of crowded big-box stores and will seek to enforce measures there.