Despite every county in Connecticut becoming an area of “substantial” community transmission of COVID-19 Tuesday, Gov. Ned Lamont pushed aside questions about whether the state will institute further restrictions to slow the spread of the highly contagious delta variant. Connecticut has not implemented mandatory vaccinations for state workers or vaccine passports in public spaces, which have both been announced in New York and New York City in recent days.
“If I saw everybody move into the riskiest category as defined by the CDC, I’d say what we’re doing is not working and we’d have to make some changes,” he said after touring a manufacturing facility in Southington Tuesday afternoon.
Lamont’s comments came not long before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classified every county in the state as an area of “substantial” community transmission of COVID-19, in which the agency and the state Department of Public Health recommend masking in indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status. By Tuesday afternoon, Hartford and New Haven counties were on the brink of becoming areas of “high” community transmission of COVID-19, the highest designation afforded by the CDC.
Throughout the pandemic, Lamont has been reluctant to institute top-down mandates. In mid-December, as Connecticut climbed one of the worst peaks of the pandemic, Lamont deferred to individual responsibility, urging that residents follow safety measures but declining to implement statewide restrictions.
“Everybody thinks governors can do everything by mandate: order you to stay home, order you to always wear the mask,” he said at the time. “But the other 95% is just persuasion, convincing you it’s the right thing to do. I can’t mandate common sense.”
Eight months later, the highly-transmissible delta variant has dashed nationwide hopes for an end to the pandemic this fall. Public health experts now warn that significantly slowing down the pandemic will hinge on increasing vaccination rates across the state and country.
In Connecticut, 70% of residents have received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine and 63% of residents are fully vaccinated. Even so, COVID-19 metrics have risen steadily since early July, from an all-pandemic low of 25 hospitalizations on July 11 to 165 hospitalizations Tuesday. During that time, the state’s seven-day rolling positivity rose from 0.7% to 2.9%.
Dr. Ulysses Wu, an infectious disease specialist at Hartford HealthCare noted Monday that the delta variant of COVID-19 is as contagious as chickenpox and more contagious than the viruses that cause MERS, SARS, Ebola, the common cold, the seasonal flu and smallpox. And if the delta variant is not contained, an even deadlier variant could emerge.
“What we’re seeing is a more fit virus that is able to infect and transmit,” he said. ” … Unfortunately, I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news, but if we don’t get this under control, there’s another Greek letter coming down the road, beyond delta.”
With the expiration of his emergency pandemic nearing at the end of September, Lamont has indicated that he does not want to institute sweeping restrictions without legislative buy-in, even as the delta variant drives community spread in Connecticut.
“I think the legislature’s going to want to come in,” Lamont said. “And I’d like to work with them in terms of what we do after September 30, and get their point of view on masks in schools and vaccinations for state employees … I don’t have to make all these decisions by myself. I’ll take some help.”
The governor’s emergency powers, extended last month by the legislature, give him broader authority to run the state during the public health crisis. Republicans have been critical of the process, saying it gives the governor too much authority.
Lamont may also be hoping that the rapid spread of the delta variant in the state begins to slow. In the past week, he has often referenced former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb — a familiar face on Lamont’s COVID-19 press conferences — who has said that the United States could pass the peak of the delta variant’s spread within a few weeks, following the model of the United Kingdom, where COVID-19 cases have largely fallen.
Other states, like New York, have acted more decisively in response to rising COVID-19 caseloads. Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently announced that tens of thousands of state employees will be required to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or face weekly testing, as will Metropolitan Transportation Authority workers. On Tuesday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city will require proof of at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in order to visit an indoor restaurant or fitness center.
On the issue of mandatory vaccinations or regular COVID-19 testing for state employees, Lamont stressed Tuesday that his administration is hoping to work “collaboratively” with the unions representing state employees.
And as for requiring people to show proof of vaccination prior to dining indoors or visiting a fitness center, Lamont demurred.
“Our restaurants have done a really good job, they’ve been incredibly careful,” he said. “Nobody wants to make sure their customers feel confident and safe more than the restaurant owners, so I’m leaving the discretion up to them … Some are going to say ‘vaccinations only,’ some are going to say ‘masks only.’ Some may be a little more casual.”
But the governor left the door open for local leaders to make their own decisions. “I think we’re going to give a lot of discretion to our mayors and our first selectpeople as well because every town has their own threshold for risk.”
Eliza Fawcett can be reached at elfawcett@courant.com.
Courant staff writer Daniela Altimari contributed to this report.
