Stonington — State Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, announced she will hold a town hall forum with health care experts "to take residents’ questions and provide updates on the state’s response to the coronavirus."

The meeting will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Stonington Community Center, known as the Como, 28 Cutler St. in Stonington, according to a news release. 

The event will include Dr. Kevin Torres, associate chief medical officer of Lawrence + Memorial Hospital; Dr. Alin Bortin, infectious disease specialist; and Dr. Mark Somers, chief of cardiology at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, the release states.

“The purpose of this forum is to make health care experts available to address questions from the public about risk mitigation, the myth vs. fact about the nature of this disease, common sense precautions they should be taking, what to do if they feel symptoms, what our health care system is doing to be prepared and more,” Somers said in a statement. “As the ranking member of the Public Health Committee I feel it is imperative our residents have an opportunity to have their concerns and questions directly addressed as well as have access to the most accurate and up to date information.”

“Keeping the public informed will be critical as our region and state face down this challenge,” she added. “I encourage attendees to the forum to use precautions as well, including remaining at home if they are sick or high risk, washing hands and avoiding handshakes.”