CONNECTICUT (WTNH) — Connecticut has opened the state’s first nursing home facility in Sharon that will house only coronavirus patients. State leaders plan to open up more in the next coming days.
On Friday, Lamont said nursing homes are still the state’s pressure point during the pandemic. They had 40% of deaths statewide, according to state reports.
“Bridgeport is going to be bringing on 146 beds, and they are potentially excepting patients as soon as tonight,” said Josh Geballe, Commissioner of the Department of Administrative Services. “Torrington, which is one of the sites that was decommissioned, we have reopened with the support of the Connecticut National Guard.”
On Thursday, healthcare workers were circling the Capitol, honking their horns, trying to draw attention to the fact that they don’t have enough masks or the PPE to protect them against COVID-19.
“We are not there with nursing homes,” said Rob Baril, President SEIU. “We have not made the progress we need to make, and as long as our workers are still having to make protective gear out of trash bags, we will continue to speak out.”
However, some facilities do you have enough to go around.
“In my building right now, I’m not worried about it because we don’t have any cases of COVID-19 in our facility, but speaking to my colleagues and other people and other facilities, I’m scared for them,” said healthcare worker, Barbara Ocasio.
News 8 heard that the one COVID only facility in Sharon doesn’t have enough PPE; the governor’s office said they will personally monitor it.
“I talked to Barbara Cassa earlier today who heads up our licensing division at the Department of Public Health,” Geballe said. “She was physically up there yesterday, inspecting the site herself, and said the site was incredibly well set up, and well-stocked with PPE, and the staff was in place and ready to go.”
