I write to update the supporters of this petition, some 971 and counting, on the significant impact that your voices are having on the current dialogue in our state and around the country. With nearly 50,000 views, our petition has directly influenced the statewide and national media to highlight the mismatch between our current public health policies and the crisis of hospitalizations and deaths that we face in our state.

In recent days, other states from Rhode Island to California have moved to enact strong new restrictions in the face of hospital overload. Yet, waiting until hospitals are full, and presuming that field hospitals can meet the excess need is illogical and dangerous for the care and survival of not only COVID patients but any of us in the state who might need of emergency hospital care for any condition. With a highly effective vaccine likely to be available in the coming days and weeks, we should be doing everything we can right now to avoid regrets and to ensure that our loved ones are still with us when the pandemic ends.

We will shortly be sending this open letter on to Governor Lamont. Please amplify your voices now by sharing this petition widely, notifying your local representatives about our concerns, and speaking out in your communities about the importance of immediate action to stop the spread of COVID and ease the burden on our hospitals so that they can continue to save as many lives as possible.