STAMFORD — The state of COVID-19 in the community and the state, the upcoming flu season and other health-related topics, from the hospital’s stockpile of personal protective equipment to the uncertain future of the Affordable Care Act, were on the agenda as U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., met with city and health officials at Stamford Hospital on Tuesday.

Connecticut has seen a significant rise in COVID-19 cases — with more than 8,300 new cases in the past month, according to the Connecticut State Department of Public Health and reporting by Hearst Newspapers. But the rise in hospitalizations has been significantly slower.

In Fairfield County, Norwalk has seen a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, while in Stamford — at one time the epicenter of the crisis in Connecticut — the rise has been relatively modest.

“Thankfully, over the summer we’ve had less than five inpatients, for the most part, at any given time,” Stamford Health CEO Kathleen Silard said. “That is mostly due to the public health measures that we have all worked so hard together to put into place.”

After a slow summer in terms of caseload, the city is now seeing about eight new cases of coronavirus a day, according to Stamford Mayor David Martin.

And last week, the hospital treated its first influenza case of the year, putting a formal start to flu season.

Despite rising case numbers, Martin also spoke to declining interest in coronavirus testing, particularly in the Stamford’s marginalized communities.

“[People] are still coming out, but not at the same rate that they were coming out,” said Martin. Overall, the state has seen a rise in testing of late.

The city pushed to increase testing in communities of color earlier in the pandemic. In partnership with the NAACP and Building One Community — a social services provider focused on immigrants — the city had increased testing among the Black community by 18 percent, officials said; and 9 percent among Latinx residents.

This increase was accomplished, in part, through “respiratory depots” launched by the hospital, a way to meet community members outside of traditional doctors’ officers. The depots test patients for all respiratory illnesses, not just COVID.

PPE and other challenges

Those testing sites have helped process more than 70,000 COVID-19 tests since March, officials said. But, to maintain that volume, Stamford Health COO Elizabeth Longmore told Murphy a constant supply of PPE is necessary.

“One of the biggest things that we struggle with, as far as continuing those testing operations, is the predictability of the supply chain and our ability to really know, week to week, what amount of testing supplies we’re going to receive,” said Longmore.

Even months into the pandemic, the supply of personal protective equipment is volatile, officials said. Sometimes, there is a disruption in production. Other times, according to Longmore, the federal government has redirected PPE to other locations in need.

To remedy that unreliability, Stamford Hospital began to keep its own stockpiles of PPE in case of another spike of infections.

“That may end up being the right answer inevitably, but I’m worried it shouldn’t be,” said Murphy. When individual entities start amassing PPE, responsibility for keeping institutions stocked becomes becomes hazy, according to the senator.

Even Murphy questioned the effectiveness of the hospital stockpiling equipment. Silard reflected on receiving expired PPE from the state and federal governments. One shipment from those reserves earlier in the pandemic was completely expired, she said, leaving Stamford Health to use it as leadership saw fit outside of COVID wards.

Keeping care affordable

Throughout the discussion, Murphy also reminded a room full of healthcare professionals and public servants of one national conversation looming over the morning’s discussion — the Affordable Care Act.

“I am convinced, whether you agree with me or not, that the Affordable Care Act is likely to be overturned in the next four months,” said Murphy, referring in part to confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett — President Donald Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court.

Murphy claims that ending the ACA would hit providers like Stamford Health hardest, especially because of coronavirus. He worries that the state would be left to foot the bill for uninsured patients in the heat of both the pandemic and flu season.

California v. Texas, the Supreme Court case in question, threatens the act’s individual mandate, the provision that requires most people to have a minimum amount of health insurance coverage.

The plaintiffs — a coalition of 18 Republican-led states — are asking for the whole act to be invalidated. While the high court could uphold the Affordable Care Act without the individual mandate, if the provision is found to be integral to the act, the entire piece of legislation could be struck down.

California v. Texas is slated for oral arguments on Nov. 10, a week after the Nov. 3 presidential election.