As the first two confirmed cases of Connecticut coronavirus were announced — of a “community doctor” who made rounds in Bridgeport and a nurse who works in Danbury/Norwalk hospitals, but live in New York — Yale directed students to cancel non-class events expected to draw more than 100 attendees.
Those were among the developments as Connecticut braces for the expected spread of the deadly virus.
• Gov. Ned Lamont announced the two confirmed cases in a pair of releases.
“Staff at both Danbury and Norwalk Hospitals may have been exposed to COVID-19 coronavirus disease as a result of a hospital employee who lives in Westchester County, New York and has tested positive for the virus. This individual was exposed to the virus while in their home community of Westchester County by another individual who has tested positive, and then the individual worked shifts at both hospitals. The hospital employee is currently at their home, where they are in isolation and recovering,” Lamont announced Friday evening in the first release.
On Saturday he revealed that the positive test of “a community physician who made rounds at Bridgeport Hospital and did not show signs or symptoms of coronavirus while working with patients and stayed home to self-monitor.
• United Way and the state have launched a 24-hour hotline for members of the public to call with any coronavirus questions. Call 2 – 1‑1 or text “CTCOVID” to 898211.
• The Yale directive came in a community-wide email sent by Yale Health Director Dr. Paul Genecin and Provost Scott Strobel. The university began a two-week student break this weekend.
The email included guidance for on-campus events:
“To prevent transmission of the virus, we are asking students, faculty, and staff to postpone, cancel, or adjust all Yale-hosted events, other than classes, that will have 100 or more participants. Adjustments to events could include using technology to allow remote participation and increasing the venue size to allow participants to maintain distance from one another. This recommendation applies to events taking place between March 9, 2020, and April 15, 2020.
“Even if an event has fewer than 100 people, please think about the size of the venue and accommodations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the virus can spread between people who are within six feet of one another. Consider if the venue allows people adequate space to spread out and if participants have opportunities to wash their hands regularly. Adjust meeting formats as needed.”
• New Haven U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro has cosponsored a measure (with U.S. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington) to require employers “to allow workers to accrue seven days of paid sick leave.” The measure “would provide an additional 14 days available immediately in the event of any public health emergency, including the current coronavirus crisis.”
