Gov. Ned Lamont left quarantine Wednesday and returned to public, in-person events about five days after he first tested positive for COVID-19.
Lamont said Wednesday at an event in Guilford discussing federal infrastructure money that he was feeling well. He wore a mask while not standing at the podium during the event.
“On a personal note, thank you. I feel a lot better, I’ve been through the therapy,” Lamont said.
Several hours after Lamont’s first in-person event, William Tong’s office announced the attorney general had tested positive for COVID-19. Tong, who is vaccinated and has received a booster, has been experiencing mild symptoms, his office said.
Lamont, who acknowledged previously that he regularly tests for COVID-19, said last Thursday that a rapid test that morning was positive. Following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, Lamont quarantined at the governor’s residence in Hartford for five days.
“I get it, two years ago, when you’re in quarantine everybody else is in quarantine I’m there with my wife it was sort of unique. I’ll tell you, two years later, I was going antsy. I was going stir crazy,” Lamont said. He attended several events via video conference while he was quarantined.
Lamont said Monday that he took paxlovid, Pfizer’s COVID-19 therapy, after he started experiencing some symptoms, including a bit of a headache, on Friday. Overall, Lamont said he experienced few symptoms.
Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, who announced Monday she had tested positive for COVID-19, is still quarantining. Treasurer Shawn Wooden announced Tuesday that he had tested positive for and was also quarantining. Both Bysiewicz and Wooden were said to be doing well.
While Lamont had attended many events with scores of people ahead of his positive COVID-19 test, the governor said he was not aware of any other infections after contact tracing was conducted.
The infections among state leaders come amid a general uptick in COVID-19 cases across Connecticut. As of Tuesday, the seven-day positivity had reached 5.82 percent.
Staff writer Abigail Brone contributed to this story.
