With the peak of the Coronavirus "curve" likely to jolt Connecticut in April, state hospitals enter the month with roughly 1,000 ventilators, a continued need to stockpile personal protective equipment (PPE's), and a task force of top medical executives set to redistribute resources to cover possible regional shortages.
Gov. Ned Lamont was left seemingly unimpressed by the federal government's grant of fifty ventilators to Connecticut.
He says he emphasized to Trump Administration officials that as part of the NY Metro Area, distribution should be weighed in a regional fashion, with Connecticut considered a priority, just like hard-hit New York and New Jersey.
"Connecticut is the fourth most COVID-infected state in the country, per capita," says Gov. Lamont, "behind New York, New Jersey and Louisiana."
"A little disturbing today to find out that the national strategic stockpile is now empty... For now, we're on our own. For now, we're working our heart out, scouring the globe for PPE, as best we can. As your governor, this breaks my heart... I feel like a general sending our troops into battle without the protective gear that they deserve."
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The governor expressed those concerns as the state's Coronavirus death toll took an alarming jump, largely because of an additional 17 deaths that have been retroactively ruled to be COVID-19 related.
When added to the 24-hour total of 16 dead that was also added to the overall count, the earlier deaths bring the statewide toll, as of Tuesday night, to 69.
3,128 known cases have been confirmed (with 600+ now hospitalized).
All have come over the last 25 days, dating back to the confirmation of the first case, on March 6.
The average of 125 confirmed new cases per day over that span, an average that promises to rise for the next several weeks, is a strong reason for the sense of concern expressed Tuesday at Executive Branch news conferences in Hartford and Washington, DC.
"April," said Gov. Lamont, "will be a horrible month."
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A bit of relief is on its way for many Connecticut homeowners who lost income during March's historic run of job losses.
The Department of Banking has arranged for more than 60 banks and credit unions to grant 90-day grace periods on mortgage payments.
More information can be found here: https://portal.ct.gov/DOB/Consumer/Consumer-Help/COVID-19-Mortgage-Relie...
