Responding to a letter from doctors asking him to close gyms and indoor restaurant dining, Gov. Ned Lamont says he's not changing Connecticut's current COVID-19 guidance.
The doctors, led by Dr. Luke Davis of the Yale School of Medicine, are concerned about increasing pressure on the state's hospitals. According to the state, 1,098 coronavirus patients are hospitalized in Connecticut, and projections show that number will rise for at least several more weeks.
In an interview with WTIC News, Dr. Davis said it's not only COVID-19 patients who will suffer if intensive care units are over-stressed. During last spring's initial surge of the virus, many patients with symptoms of heart failure or stroke became reluctant to seek help at the hospital.
"The strategy," said Davis, "is to try to keep open surgery, our other types of ICU's, the other care that we're providing so that people who have heart attacks or strokes or all the other things that do happen can get the care they need."
Gov. Lamont said he appreciates the advice, but he's not changing things up for now: "The people of Connecticut continue to do the right thing... The restaurants have worked really hard to stay open and do it safely."
Also Monday, the state's COVID-19 death toll surpassed 5,000 (5,020), with 59 deaths reported in a 72-hour period over the holiday weekend.
