CONNECTICUT (WTNH) — Coronavirus continues to rise in the nation and seems to be targetting the elderly community in Connecticut.

On Thursday, Governor Ned Lamont announced that 57 nursing homes in the state have residents testing positive for COVID-19. That number jumped from 30 on Wednesday.

“We had over 109 individuals yesterday that were COVID-19 positive and 177 people pending results, and so this is spreading like wildfire,” said Commissioner Rene Coleman-Michell, Department of Public Health.

Coleman-Michell told News 8 leaders are doing everything they can to separate patients from those unaffected.

Lamont purposed to convert five of the facilities into sites to house patients and got major push back from staff, community leaders and patients.

She said she realizes these are people and people‘s families, and that they need to be treated with respect, but said this is a very difficult situation.

“[To the] families, we know they have concerns, but we are really trying to just save lives, ultimately save lives.”

For those who have loved ones inside the assisted-living communities, they say it’s challenging because they are on lockdown, and can’t get in. They said they’re worried because they don’t know what’s going on inside.

Carolyn Malon
West Hartford
“I think the conditions in the nursing homes are good,” said West Hartford resident, Carolyn Malon. “I just can’t see. I really can’t tell, but I worried about is the physical touch.”

Officials said they’re still working on a solution on how to separate residents from those who test positive.