Coronavirus In Connecticut
On March 6, 2020, the first case of coronavirus hit Connecticut. Within weeks the state had shut down and an 88-year-old Ridgefield man was dead. The past year has been marked by loss and pain. And now, perhaps, hope.
When the first coronavirus cases appeared in Connecticut last March, few could have fathomed just how much the virus would define the year to come. As we
mark one year of the COVID-19 pandemic, here’s a look at how the virus spread -- and how our lives changed. MARCH 6, 2020
The First Cases
1 The first case in Connecticut was a New York woman who worked at Danbury and Norwalk hospitals. The next day, the state confirmed a second case, a doctor at Bridgeport Hospital. On March 8, the first Connecticut resident tested positive for COVID-19. In late February, Gov. Ned Lamont and the state of Connecticut began to prepare for the arrival of the mysterious virus. From the beginning of the pandemic, a lack of personal protective equipment, COVID-19 testing kits and federal funding hampered the state’s response.
MARCH 10, 2020
State Of Emergency
2 Gov. Ned Lamont declared both a public health emergency and a civil preparedness emergency on March 10. The declaration allowed Lamont to restrict travel, close public schools and buildings and more. Just two days later, the governor banned large gatherings. By this time Connecticut had only four confirmed cases of COVID-19, due to the state having only two testing kits. Many cases went undetected, and as a result spread rapidly through communities.
MARCH 15, 2020 Schools Closed
3 Gov. Ned Lamont ordered all public schools in the state closed. Schools were initially closed for two weeks, but ultimately were closed until the end of the academic year. Colleges around the state moved to online learning, joining a long list of closures and cancellations that included sports, major events, places of worship, state government and businesses.
MARCH 16, 2020
Mass Shutdown
4 Gov. Ned Lamont ordered a mass shutdown of bars, restaurants, gyms and movie theaters. Restaurants and bars were allowed to continue food delivery and takeout, while supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations and other essential businesses remained open. Many Connecticut workers began to lose their jobs, with tens of thousands applying for unemployment. Health experts estimated that there were thousands of COVID-19 cases going unreported due to a lack of testing.
MARCH 18, 2020
First Connecticut Resident Dies
5 An 88-year-old man from Ridgefield was the first Connecticut resident to die of COVID-19, as nursing homes and assisted living facilities emerged as coronavirus hotspots. Separated from their loved ones to prevent transmission, families grieved in isolation. From here on out, the death toll from coronavirus continued to rise, mostly claiming the lives of older residents but not entirely sparing the young population.
MARCH 20, 2020
Stay At Home Order
6 Gov. Ned Lamont ordered all workers at “nonessential” businesses to stay home to mitigate the spread of the disease. Grocery stores, pharmacies, banks, gas stations and other necessary businesses were allowed to remain open. Construction and manufacturing also continued, along with child care services and public transportation. “Look, it’s tough medicine,” Lamont said at the time. “I think it’s the right medicine.”
MARCH 20, 2020 — MAY 2020
The First Wave
By the end of March, the first wave of the
7 coronavirus was in full force in Connecticut. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases surged, with many going undetected due to a shortage of testing materials. The death toll also continued to spike, with many dying in nursing homes. By March 26, about 148,000 people had filed unemployment insurance claims, an “unprecedented” number. The state’s outdated unemployment system led to weekslong delays. March ended with FEMA approving a major disaster declaration for Connecticut.
APRIL 2020 — MAY 2020
Cautious Hope
8 COVID-19 hospitalizations began to decline at the end of April, even as deaths continued to rise. With record-breaking unemployment across the nation, the additional $600 unemployment to weekly state unemployment benefit payments helped those struggling. However, not everyone who needed assistance got the payout.
APRIL 13, 2020
First Inmate Dies
9 The first coronavirus-related death in the state’s prison system was an inmate in his 60s serving a two-year sentence. The ACLU of Connecticut repeatedly criticized the state for failing to protect prisoners from the virus. Early in the pandemic, the ACLU sued the state to release more inmates from prisons. As of this March, 19 inmates have died from COVID-19.
MAY 20, 2020 — JUNE 17, 2020
Phase One: A Gradual Reopening
10 In the beginning of May, the coronavirus began to slow with fewer deaths and hospitalizations. More PPE arrived in the state, shoring up response efforts. Connecticut’s four-phase reopening plan began on May 20, allowing outdoor dining and outdoor recreational activities. Coronavirus restrictions loosened even more by the end of May, even as the death toll broke 4,000.
JUNE 17, 2020 — SEPTEMBER 2020
Phase Two: The Summer Lull
11 Life looked a bit more normal by June 17, when indoor dining, nail salons, indoor recreation, and several other types of businesses reopened. There was a significant drop off in positive cases of the virus and hospitalizations. Though Connecticut had slowed its spread, in parts around the country, the virus surged. On June 24, Gov. Ned Lamont announced a COVID-19 travel advisory requiring a 14-day self-quarantine for travelers who arrive from states with surging COVID-19 infections.
AUGUST 31, 2020
Schools Open As Businesses Shutter
12 Schools in Connecticut reopened on August 31 for the first time since they were shut down in March. Less than one-third of schools reopened fully for in-person learning; most used a mix of online and in-person learning, at least temporarily. Throughout fall, many schools across the state closed due to COVID-19 cases. Most later reopened. Though businesses received loans from the federal government through a $660 billion stimulus package, many continued to struggle.
OCTOBER 8, 2020 Phase Three: Reopening And Resurgence
13 Connecticut’s third phase of reopening allowed increased indoor capacity at businesses including restaurants and the limited indoor use of performing arts venues. As more of Connecticut’s economy reopened, the coronavirus began to creep back into the state, with an uptick in cases, positivity rate and hospitalizations.
NOVEMBER 2020 — DECEMBER 2020
The Second Surge
14 Connecticut was in the throes of a second coronavirus wave. Cases, hospitalizations and deaths increased, at times rapidly. Every town in Connecticut felt the anguish. Health care workers faced the brunt of the pandemic; day-to-day life in local hospitals became increasingly tense. Several doctors urged for tighter restrictions. Teachers unions called for online-only learning. And the state cracked down on businesses flouting the coronavirus rules.
NOVEMBER 2, 2020
A Swift Rollback
15 Gov. Ned Lamont said on Nov. 2 said the state will retreat from the third phase of reopening and restrict restaurants and social gatherings, while also asking all residents to remain home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
NOVEMBER 3, 2020
Election Amid Pandemic
16 Voters turned out in record numbers for the
2020 election, despite the pandemic. Months of planning and thousands of volunteers helped make voting safe during the public health crisis. The expanded use of absentee ballots ensured that those vulnerable to the virus could still vote. For many, voting this year was especially important because of the pandemic. “People are losing their job, their house, their lives,” said one woman who was laid off.
DECEMBER 14, 2020
The First Vaccine Arrives
17 “It’s the dawn of a new day.” The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrived in Connecticut on Dec. 14. Hartford HealthCare administered the first doses, with the hospital’s chief clinical officer being the first in the state to receive the vaccine. Even as doses were shipped across the world, the pandemic kept ramping up. But now, the end was in sight. Some Connecticut residents were vaccinated in December. Connecticut officials are aiming to vaccinate the entire state by early fall 2021.
JANUARY 13, 2021
Vaccine Rollout Begins
18 The monumental task of vaccinating all of Connecticut’s 3.5 million residents began Jan. 13 with residents 75 or older. From day one, Gov. Ned Lamont and other health officials have made an effort to not waste any doses, even if it means vaccinating people out of order. However, confusion about eligibility and a lack of safeguards led to numerous snafus.
FEBRUARY 8, 2021
Equity Concerns Arise
19 Residents aged 65 to 74 received the vaccine next. By the end of February, state data on who’s getting the vaccines began to show an inescapable trend: Connecticut’s white residents have so far been disproportionately likely to receive a vaccine, while Black residents have been particularly unlikely to receive one.
MARCH 1, 2021
A Major Shift
Connecticut teachers, school employees and
20
child care providers, as well as residents 55 and older, began signing up March 1 to schedule COVID-19 vaccinations. The age-based vaccine rollout was a big departure from the state’s previous plan to vaccinate frontline essential workers and people with comorbidities next.
MARCH 4, 2021
Major Rollbacks
21 With cases declining, Gov. Lamont rolls back COVID-related restrictions in Connecticut starting March 19, including allowing restaurants to operate at full capacity, loosening rules on sports and entertainment venues and lifting the state’s travel ban. The state will maintain some key measures, including a mask mandate, social distancing rules, a curfew for restaurants and the closure of all bars.