NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Mayor Justin Elicker held a virtual press conference Saturday, where he provided updates on the city's response to COVID-19.
Elicker started off the meeting wearing a homemade protective mask.
"Thought I’d show you," he said before removing it.
Elicker says he will recommend that New Haven residents be required to wear masks in public to reduce the spread of coroanvirus.
To date, the Elm City has reported 181 cases and 6 deaths, according to the mayor.
Seven firefighters and three police officers are among the residents infected.
According to the mayor, Yale New Haven Hospital's biggest concerned at this time is the amount of ventilators available.
Elicker announced Saturday that four officers have started to move into the housing provided for first-responders at the University of New Haven.
He says they were not diagnosed, but they moved in to protect their families.
According to Elicker, there are four cases now at Bella Vista – 3 residents are in the hospital, one is self-quarantined.
New Haven officials have also been collaborating with local hotels to house the city's homeless. 139 homeless people are currently put up.
Elicker says an agreement has been finalized with a second hotel and a lot more people will be transported out of shelter and into that hotel Monday.
Case workers will be at hotels to monitor, according to the mayor.
