Gov. Ned Lamont and other state and local officials deserve credit for the aggressive steps they are taking to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Connecticut, protect the elderly who are particularly vulnerable to the virus, and keep our hospitals fully functioning.

Many will criticize some of measures as an overreaction. But this is a situation where overreacting is preferable to failing to act or acting too slowly. Canceling events and imposing restrictions will cause disappointments, inconveniences and some short-term economic damage. But failing to act prudently can cost lives and lead to a deeper crisis with more profound economic damage that would not be easy to recover from.

As for this being a serious situation, consider that on Wednesday the World Health Organization declared it a pandemic, meaning a virus that can cause illness and death, is easily passed person to person and that has spread across the world. And among the stricken nations, the United States is one of the places it is spreading most rapidly.

The state’s daily briefings have kept the public updated and sent the message the epidemic must be treated seriously.

At Wednesday’s briefing, Dr. Matthew Cartter, Connecticut's epidemiologist, provided a sobering assessment. While health officials now can track who a patient with COVID-19 has been in contact with, soon there will be too many cases to do so. There are certainly many more cases than those confirmed. In fact, individuals who have a cough and a fever can assume they probably have COVID-19, Cartter said.

He called the challenge facing the state “incredibly difficult. We have not seen a pandemic like this in 100 years.”

On Tuesday the governor took the dramatic steps of declaring public health and civil preparedness emergencies. That gives him the ability to order quarantines, restrict travel, and order the closure of institutions, such as schools, if necessary. This provides Lamont the elasticity he may need to react to a situation that is rapidly evolving and unpredictable.

The irony is that if the steps to limit large public gatherings and impose restrictions on access to nursing homes and other healthcare facilities prove reasonably successful in keeping the virus in check, critics will claim the dangers were overblown to begin with. Better that, however, than looking back and concluding more should have been done.

COVID-19 is highly contagious. There is no vaccination available to provide protection. It appears to kill a higher percentage of the people it infects and causes a higher percentage of people to get severely ill than does the common flu, though the data is still evolving.

If severely ill COVID-19 patients overwhelm available hospital beds, and if the virus diminishes the ranks of healthcare workers, other critically ill people may not get the care they need, Cartter warned. Keeping hospitals functioning is a priority. To prepare, the state has ordered thousands of N95 respirator masks to protect healthcare providers and first responders. It is ramping up testing.

State officials are acting to fulfill what is their most important duty — to protect public safety — and deserve the public’s backing in those efforts.

The elderly face a high risk of infection and death, with an estimated death rate of more than 20% for people over 80. The state’s decision to restrict visits to convalescent homes was in order. Only if a person is in hospice or end-of-life care will visitors be allowed and must wear protective equipment.

Among the most unpopular actions taken in recent days was the decision by the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference to cancel all remaining winter-sports high school tournaments — for basketball, hockey and swimming. Disconsolation was especially acute concerning the state’s large girls’ and boys’ basketball tournaments, which attract big crowds.

Our preference would have been to see the games continue, but with spectators limited to parents. Fear of student-to-student infection played a role in the full cancellation. Yet we note that, with few exceptions, schools remain open with far more student-to-student interaction.

In any event, while we disagree with the details of the decision, we credit officials for acting to protect the health of the student-athletes and public as best they saw fit.

The state and region have seen the canceling of St. Patrick's Day parades, including the one planned for 1 p.m. Sunday in New London, the rescheduling to September of the Home Show planned for Foxwoods Resort this weekend, and the cancellation of numerous other school and social events. All prudent decisions.

Indications are this is going to be bad. The public should restrain from criticizing efforts to mitigate how bad.

The Day editorial board meets with political, business and community leaders to formulate editorial viewpoints. It is composed of President and Publisher Timothy Dwyer, Executive Editor Izaskun E. Larraneta, Owen Poole, copy editor, and Lisa McGinley, retired deputy managing editor. The board operates independently from The Day newsroom.