coronavirus pandemic

‘It's a Wake-Up Call,' Lamont Says After President's COVID-19 Diagnosis

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President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for COVID-19 and the governor extended prayers to the president’s family and said this is a “wake up” call and it’s no time to lower our guard.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Trump family,” Lamont said Friday morning.

The president tested positive just hours after the White House announced that senior aide Hope Hicks, of Greenwich, had come down with the virus after traveling with the president several times this week.

Lamont knows Hicks’ family, having served on the board of selectmen in Greenwich years ago with Hope’s father, Paul Hicks, the governor said.

“All the best to her and her family,” Lamont said.

Lamont highlighted the need to be cautious as the pandemic continues into a seventh month.

“It just reminds you that we want to err on the side of caution and this is a tough time – October, November, colleges coming back, flu season and voting,” Lamont said.

While answering questions about the president getting coronavirus and any impact it would have on precautions, Lamont said, “It was a wake-up call for people who were beginning to get very casual about COVID and wearing a mask.”

She is the closest aide to President Donald Trump to test positive for the virus.

The governor said he’s been getting tested regularly, every two to three weeks for several months, and his staff is going to get tested more regularly than in the past.

He added that he and the lieutenant governor will try to go to events separately, especially if they are indoors.

The infection of the president and the first lady is just a reminder that we’re not out of the woods.

Gov. Ned Lamont

When asked what he wanted to say to Connecticut residents, the governor said, “The infection of the president and the first lady is just a reminder that we’re not out of the woods. It’s a reminder how cautious we’ve got to continue to be. It’s a reminder that October and November are going to be incredibly important months. If we can maintain the masks, maintain the caution, maintain the distancing, I think we’ll be able to do this safely. I think we’ll be able to continue to have our kids go to school, overwhelmingly they’ve be able to do that safely.” “This is no time for us to lower our guard,” the governor added.

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