Connecticut hospitals warn of strained staffing and intensive care unit capacity as the state prepares for a winter wave of COVID-19 cases.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said he is hopeful the Federal Drug Administration will authorize the use of a coronavirus vaccine that can offer some help.
“If we can get nursing home residents vaccinated by the end of this month, they’re the folks that create a lot of the demand on our hospitals, so there will be a virtuous cycle that starts up, I hope, early next year,” Lamont said.
Lamont said he has heard from the Yale New Haven Health system that ICUs are also strained because they are not able to stop elective surgeries right now. Patients who put off procedures in the spring will need more urgent care.