Lamont considers enhanced unemployment benefits

People who are anxious about returning to work, particularly those who could be vulnerable to the coronavirus, might get some relief that could allow them to remain at home and receive unemployment benefits, Gov. Ned Lamont indicated on Monday.

While Lamont said that he is looking into the issue and undecided, the governor agreed that it is a major concern for a section of the population, particularly teachers contemplating the reopening of schools in the fall.

“People over the age of 60, 65, I really don’t want them going to work in the near term,” Lamont said. “People with pre-existing conditions should not be going back to work. If they’re a teacher and they can do a lecture because they’re in a community college, there are other ways they may be able to participate, but I believe going to a public place where you are natural liable to congregate is probably not a good idea, at least for the near term.”

Safety in the pandemic is still the key to recovery.

“I want to make sure the store owners feel safe to open their store,” he said. “I want to make sure the customers feel safe going back in the store and I want to make sure everybody working at the store or the construction facility feels safe as well.”

Lamont stressed the need to support social distancing and other public health measures. “The scientists can tell you what the safety level is, and nothing is absolute,” Lamont said. “There’s nothing that’s 100 percent. We’re making judgments there. But it’s also important that people feel safe. That they feel that there are people looking out for them. This is not a light switch. Not everybody is going to pour back to work.”

During his daily news conference in the State Capitol, Lamont said he still wants dental hygientists returning to work when their dental offices resume normal business. “I’m inclined to let it play out a little bit,” Lamont said. “We never closed down dentistry. We at least kept it open for emergency purposes. I think a lot of hygientists who don’t want to go in, won’t have to go in because there won’t be demand at this point. If I find I’m wrong on that then we’re going to have to take a second look at it.”

Josh Geballe, Lamont’s chief operating officer and commissioner of the state Department of Administrative Services, said that the administration has heard from many about the issue and will put together a group to discuss the issues, including the Connecticut Dental Association and hygientists.

Lamont also held his position on restaurants reopening May 20 without indoor dining, but praised Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo for considering an idea to close off a downtown street such as Greenwich Avenue to allow restaurants to create an alfresco dining environment.

“I’ve been impressed,” he said. “Thinking about how more outdoor access for these tables and restaurants, I think, could help bring the towns to life, the cities to life and also make it much more viable for our restaurants. I am a little hesitant though, about just going right into indoor dining alongside outdoor dining. I think that’s going to take a little bit longer.”

The state’s fatalities on Monday in the coronavirus pandemic rose above 3,000, prompting Lamont to wish he had done more to prepare for the historic twomonth wave, which now is on the decline since the first death on March 17.

“Shame on us for underestimating, perhaps, what could have happened,” Lamont said. Another 41 fatalities brought the total to 3,008. “Could we have done everything sooner? I think so.” Net hospitalizations fell by 30, bringing to total to 1,212, the fewest since April 6, keeping the state on-track for the May 20 soft reopening.

He said that the latest testing data over the weekend indicated that positive cases were occurring at less than 10 percent of total tests. Hospital admissions have fallen sharply in the last week, he added.

kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT