Is Lamont’s COVID strategy a gamble?
There’s always been a bit of magical thinking when it comes to COVID-19 strategies. No one has a crystal ball to anticipate the arc of the virus. As he revealed major next steps Monday, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont was candid in sharing that “We had no idea the scope of the tragedy we were confronting a year ago.”
Back then, Lamont earned kudos as a model of caution. He earned measures of criticism as well, largely from conservative pundits parroting that “the cure is worse than the disease.”
That hackneyed phrase thankfully withered as Connecticut’s death toll rose — lapping 8,000 in recent days.
Lamont is now pivoting further from the cautious approach embraced by President Joe Biden and inching closer to the cowboy attitudes of Texas.
Despite Biden’s warning that Texan Gov. Greg Abbott’s lifting of restrictions March 10 represented “Neanderthal thinking,” that gamble seems to be paying off. The numbers of daily cases and hospitalizations have continued to decline. Vaccinations helped, as has warmer weather and Texans — including merchants — who ignored the protocol and continued to wear masks.
So Lamont has had the advantage of seeing how scenarios such as that are playing out as temperatures rise in the northeast. But he’s still playing with lives without the benefit of absolute answers. There’s still no reliable crystal ball. It’s closer to a Magic 8 ball leaders shake in hopes of getting a better answer than “reply hazy try again.”
Nevertheless, Lamont is taking his boldest steps yet. Most outdoor-related mandates will vanish May 1. That means no one has to wear a mask outdoors. And other business restrictions are slated to disappear May 19.
This should be good news, though after more than a year we suspect many residents will continue to be vigilant. If speed limits were suspended for a day, we maintain some faith that many people would still stay in their lanes at safe speeds.
We are also wary that Lamont may be trying to hasten the process before his clock strikes midnight. Since the outbreak in mid-March 2020, he has acted swiftly through executive order. But the last extension of such authority will expire May 20.
After that, the governor will have to work with legislators on when to lift the restriction on indoor masks.
State officials anticipate that about 70 percent of eligible residents will have gotten at least one vaccine dose by the end of April. But there’s a substantial difference between one shot and two, as well as the additional few weeks before the vaccine becomes effective. By that logic, it would make more sense to drop the mandates a full month later
There’s also a chasm between arenas having to limit audience sizes and being able to fill seats to capacity as of May 19.
We hope Lamont’s answers are the right ones. We all want the same thing, an end to social distancing. Ultimately, though, these decisions will be personal.
We are also wary that Lamont may be trying to hasten the process before his clock strikes midnight. Since the outbreak in mid-March 2020, he has acted swiftly through executive order. But the last extension of such authority will expire May 20.