Connecticut COVID cases linked to Dem governor's holiday party – Daily Mail
By Tommy Taylor For Dailymail.Com and Associated Press
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A holiday party thrown by Democratic Connecticut governor Ned Lamont earlier this month has been linked to the recent surge of COVID cases in the state.
Lamont, 67, threw the gathering with his wife Annie at their Greenwich home on December 11 with a ‘small number of guests’ – the exact number has not been specified.
The guests were required to provide proof their vaccination status and negative COVID test result in order to attend.
Lamont and his wife were not affected by the virus as they regularly tested negative for the virus following the party.
However, guests still ended up contracting the virus despite the precautions that were taken to ensure the safety of their health.
Democratic Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, 67, threw a holiday party earlier this month which has reportedly contributed to the state’s rising COVID numbers
The party was thrown at Lamont’s Greenwich home with a ‘small number of guests’ reportedly in attendance who were required to show proof of vaccination and a negative COVID test
Lamont with his wife Annie (center) and his son Teddy (left), Lindsay (left center), and Emily (right center)
As of Thursday, there have been 3,165 new cases reported bringing the state total to 474,557 infections
‘The governor and first lady test regularly and have tested negative in each instance since the event,’ Lamont’s Director of Communications Max Reiss told Hearst Connecticut Media. ‘The positive tests occurred long after their party.’
Lamont and his wife had also not been informed of the positive cases from the party until the week after.
It remains unclear how many guests were in attendance at the party and if masking had been a requirement in the home.
As of Thursday, the state’s positivity rate was at 9.02 percent, according to Lamont, with over 3,000 new cases reported.
This recent surge in cases comes amid the presence of the Omicron variant which caused holiday plans to be cancelled across the country.
According to Reiss, the governor has attended multiple events before and after the party even with hundreds of people in attendance, according to NBC Connecticut.
These gatherings included a Connecticut Restaurant Association gala at the Foxwoods Resort & Casino on December 6 as well as an annual fundraising breakfast of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce in Rocky Hill on December 14.
However, he only reportedly attends events where a high volume of guests have been fully vaccinated.
Lamont receiving his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in February 2021. He reportedly only attends event where a high volume of guests are fully vaccinated.
It is unclear how many guests were in Lamont’s home for the party and if any of them were masked
Despite these precautions, Lamont has not reinstated statewide mandates as he left local officials to delegate their own.
Certain areas such as Stamford and Norwalk have already begun enforcing an indoor mask mandate due to the rising cases.
Unlike in 2020, there were no limits during the holiday season on the number of people who can attend indoor events, although unvaccinated people are still required to wear masks in such settings.
Masks are required to be worn by everyone in certain places such as health care facilities, schools and public transit.
Also, businesses and local government offices have the option to require masks for everyone.
According to recent state data, 3,416 cases have been reported in the last week bringing the total number to 474,557 infections.
The surge in cases has also seen 37,853 COVID tests taken in the state in the past week as well.
In addition, there have been 16 virus-related hospitalizations bringing the total to 837.
The death rate has also risen with 75 recently reported for a state total of 9,077.
Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd
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