Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (left) held a press conference at Yale New Haven Hospital May 10, the day before the end of the state’s COVID public emergency declaration. Yale New Haven leaders and staff, including Christopher O’Connor, YNHHS president and CEO, joined state officials at the event. 

Governor holds press conference at YNHH as COVID public health emergency ends

At a May10 press conference at Yale New Haven Hospital, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and state health officials shared charts and graphs that showed how quickly and how hard COVID-19 hit the state in spring 2020.

They also shared data that illustrated how well the state responded to the pandemic in the weeks, months and years following, as testing, vaccination and treatment increased, and mortality rates dropped. 

Yale New Haven Health leaders and staff joined Lamont, other state officials and representatives from the business community and Connecticut National Guard at the press conference, held the day before the nation’s and Connecticut's COVID-19 public health emergency declarations ended. 

Lamont praised state and local efforts to acquire and distribute personal protective equipment, establish COVID testing and vaccination programs and disseminate COVID treatments. He thanked state and local public health workers, staff with healthcare organizations, other frontline workers, the Connecticut National Guard and Connecticut residents.   

“It is truly remarkable the way that this state has persevered during the pandemic,” Yale New Haven Health CEO and President Christopher O’Connor said, noting that YNHHS has treated more than 36,000 COVID patients and vaccinated more than 250,000 people. “Our entire team has been nothing short of extraordinary.” 

Connecticut Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD, said that COVID will not go away completely, but the state is better prepared to respond to future outbreaks of it and other infections.

“We are ready for whatever else might come,” said Dr. Juthani, who is also an infectious diseases physician at Yale School of Medicine.