BRISTOL, Conn. (WTNH) — The State Of Connecticut is taking more pro-active steps Monday in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak.
The latest developments include the ability to test more than 600 people in Connecticut for the virus.
Also, a call for travel restrictions on state employees and students who are part of the Connecticut State College and University System.
That after the first Connecticut resident was diagnosed with the disease on Sunday. That person is a Wilton resident in his or her 40s who is now at Danbury Hospital. Officials believe he or she was exposed during a recent trip to California.
While there has only been one presumptive positive test so far in Connecticut, that could be because there have been so few tests administered, and that is because there have been so few tests made available by the federal government so far.
That despite the fact that Congress has approved $8.3 billion in aid to help fight the virus. On Friday, Connecticut’s Chief Operating Officer said we were “days away” from having far greater testing capacity.
As the virus spreads, there is talk of opening up triage centers for testing, so that people who believe they have been exposed, or who have symptoms, are not flocking to hospitals.
“Only come if you have a physician’s order. Only come if your doctors says,’this is something you probably ought to check out.’ Then you go into that first trailer to get checked out, see if you ought to have that test. You have that test, they take it up to the state lab and make sure you’ll know within 24 hours what your status is,” said Gov. Ned Lamont, D-Connecticut.
In the meantime, a new shipment of about 600 coronavirus tests is now in Connecticut.
Senator Richard Blumenthal was at this press conference, and he said the federal government promised those tests a week or two ago. He says the federal government is moving much too slowly in response to this crisis, especially when $8.3 billion in funding passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.
He also wants to see federal reimbursement of some of the costs of preparing for the virus, and the costs associated with it once lots of people are quarantined, missing work, and not spending money.
