|
Key Points:
|
(HARTFORD, CT) – As the State of Connecticut continues to ramp up its preparedness and response efforts amid the global spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Governor Ned Lamont provided the following updates to the residents of Connecticut as of 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, 2020:
Data updates from the Connecticut Department of Public Health State Laboratory
The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) State Laboratory has identified a presumptive positive case of COVID-19 involving a third Connecticut resident. The individual is an elderly gentleman who lives in a private residence in New Canaan. He is hospitalized at Norwalk Hospital. This case is not connected to any known cases in Connecticut, and DPH officials are assisting medical professionals at Norwalk Hospital to conduct the contract trace investigation on this individual.
To date, the State Laboratory has tested a total of 74 individuals. Three of the individuals have tested positive and 71 have tested negative.
To make testing more widely available, DPH is working on getting alternate sites approved at local hospitals at locations around the state. Those hospitals will work with commercial testing labs by Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp to complete the testing. Additional information on these testing sites are expected to be announced in the coming days.
Individuals who believe they might be experiencing COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, cough, or difficulty breathing should first contact a healthcare provider for screening, unless in need of emergency medical care. The healthcare provider will advise the patient on whether a test is recommended.
Request for more equipment from the Strategic National Supply
As there continues to be a global shortage of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and others who need to be in the presence of someone who may be infected with COVID-19, the State of Connecticut has made an emergency request from the Strategic National Supply for a total of 540,000 additional N-95 protective masks.
Connecticut Insurance Department notifies travel insurers on cancellation requests
Connecticut Insurance Department Commissioner Andrew N. Mais issued a notice on Wednesday to all travel insurers conducting business in Connecticut. The notice instructs insurers to accommodate travel cancellation requests under the terms of the policies taking into account the seriousness of the circumstances and the civil preparedness and public health emergencies issued by Governor Lamont on Tuesday.
Commissioner Mais recommends that consumers carefully review their travel insurance purchases for upcoming trips and also verify coverage applicability if considering a purchase of travel insurance
Providing information for Connecticut residents
For the most up-to-date information from the State of Connecticut on COVID-19, including guidance and other resources, all residents in the state are encouraged to visit ct.gov/coronavirus.
Individuals who have general questions that are not answered on the website can also call 2-1-1 for assistance. The information line is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance and TDD/TTY access for those with a hearing impairment. The hotline only intended to be used by individuals who are not experiencing symptoms but may have general questions related to COVID-19. Anyone experiencing symptoms is strongly urged to contact their medical provider to seek treatment.