In the effort to stem the spread of COVID-19, state health officials are asking college students and their families to potentially sacrifice their Thanksgiving plans. Connecticut wants those students to get tested for COVID-19, then cancel holiday travel if they test positive.
"Please test before you get on that plane," said Gov. Ned Lamont during his Thursday news conference, "quarantine before you head back to wherever you're from, and I urge the same thing for each and every one of the colleges and our kids coming from elsewhere."
The governor says the state has issued that guidance to every college in Connecticut.
Lamont's comments came as the number of cities and towns under Connecticut's "red zone alert" advisory (15 or more cases per 100,000 population) reached 100, covering about 80% of the state.
The former FDA commissioner, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, joined the governor's news conference, predicting a very difficult winter, with relief in sight next spring.
"I think this is the final stage of the acute phase of this pandemic that we need to get through," said Gottlieb, "unfortunately, it's going to be the hardest phase, right now, we're in for a very difficult 2 or 3 months. We've taken steps to return to school, go back to college, go back to work. We're huddling indoors because it's cold out, so all the things we're doing is going to be conducive to that spread."