For the latest coronavirus news, click here. Refresh often for new information as it becomes available. Scroll down for updates for the week of April 26.
May 4
Brooklyn Fair canceled
The Windham County Agricultural Society has canceled the Brooklyn Fair.
The organization announced the cancelation on their Facebook page.
Originally the fair was to be postponed while other events were canceled through August 31st. The organization cites the cancelation due to the ongoing executive orders by Governor Ned Lamont amid the COVID-19 outbreak. They say they will be adhering to current and future guidance issued by all state and local authorities to help stop the spread of the virus.
No decision has been made yet on events after August 31, 2020.
The next Brooklyn Fair will be held on August 26th - 29th in 2021.
May 3
Hospitalizations continue to drop for COVID-19 cases
For the eleventh straight day, COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped in Connecticut. There are now 1,448 people hospitalized in the state due to the virus.
Sadly, the total deaths in Connecticut rose by 59 people today, bringing the state total to 2,495 people.
Fairfield County has 514 people who have been hospitalized and 886 deaths, New Haven County has 505 people hospitalized and 580 deaths. Hartford County has 368 confirmed hospitalizations and 756 deaths.
Gov. Lamont joins regional governors to fight the pandemic, including buying PPEs
Regional governors organized Saturday afternoon during Governor Cuomo’s daily briefing. It was announced that the regional governors will work together to fight the pandemic, including buying PPEs. It was noted in the briefing that the states can work together to buy what regional hospitals and first responders need to function.
May 2
Connecticut COVID-19 related deaths rises 2,436 people
The overall state death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 2,436 people while the overall current hospitalizations continue to drop for the tenth straight day in a row. The current total hospitalizations in Connecticut are 1,551 people which is down by 41 people since yesterday.
Currently, there are 29,287 people confirmed to have COVID-19. Fairfield County has the most deaths (865), hospitalizations (525), and people who have been diagnosed with the virus in the state (11,801). Hartford County has the third most cases in the state with 6,112 and has the second most deaths with 741 people.
For more information click here.
DEEP closes state parks due to full capacity
The CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection announced Saturday several parks have reached capacity and will be closed for the day.
This comes as DEEP implemented lower capacity limits at state parks to keep visitor numbers at a level that can support good social distancing rules.
Officials say the closures are temporary, and parks closed in this fashion can be expected to re-open the following day.
See a list of the closed parks, here.
May 1
New Milford Cumberland Farms closed after employee tests positive for COVID-19
Cumberland Farms released an official statement explaining an employee at its New Milford location on Danbury Road.
The store was closed Friday morning at 10:30 am and will reopen in a few days after it is cleaned by an industrial cleaning crew.
"All Team Members that work at the store have been contacted and advised to follow CDC-recommended guidelines. We are making every effort to provide the affected Team Member and our broader team with the necessary resources and support," said a spokesperson in a written statement.
COVID-19 death toll rises to 2,339 people, as hospitalizations drop for another day
The Governor's office released the newest COVID-19 numbers Friday afternoon, showing a total of 2,339 people have died due to COVID-19. Which means 82 more people have died since Thursday.
The number of people hospitalized has again dropped in the state by 58 people today, bringing the current total to 1,592.
Cases have continued to rise with 1,064 people being diagnosed today. Connecticut now has 28,764 confirmed to have the virus. A total of 100,257 people have been tested.
Fairfield County continues to have the most amount of people with COVID and the most amount of COVID related deaths with 11,612 cases and 839 deaths. Hartford County is second with the number of deaths with 715 people.
For more information on the latest Connecticut COVID-19 numbers, click here.
New York cancels school for the rest of the academic year
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Friday that schools across New York State will be closed rest of the academic year. Schools will continue to provide distance learning for the remainder of the academic year.
Hartford HealthCare to ramp up testing
Flaks says a new testing site opened Friday in Westport. Sites in Mystic, Enfield, and Newington will be following shortly.
Flaks also highlighted the success of Hartford HealthCare's mobile testing unit to help people without transportation.
The mobile testing unit will continue to be deployed to different communities throughout the state next week.
For a full list of testing sites, you can head to their website.
Bridgeport Care-A-Van tour with Mayor Ganim, Gov. Lamont, and Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz
Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim will be joined by Gov. Ned Lamont and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, along with State and Federal leaders, first responders, Shriners, Pipes, and Drums during a Care-A-Van to express appreciation for healthcare providers, and recognize the residents and patients that they care for - who have been in isolation or recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event will take place starting at 1:30 p.m. as they drive to four different locations.
April 30
Connecticut's daily COVID-19 summary
Connecticut has reached its 8th consecutive day of declining hospitalizations de to coronavirus. The latest numbers show a drop in hospitalizations with 1,650 patients currently hospitalized.
The number of positive cases rose by 993 for a total of 27,770. The number of deaths associated with COVID-19 also jumped by 89, to 2,257.
The number of total tests done for COVID-19 also rose by 2,315 for a total of 97,133. Governor Lamont said going forward, the increase in testing will be "absolutely vital."
Gov. Lamont unveiled criteria for reopening CT May 20th
According to state officials, there are several criteria being considered in an initial reopening, which include:
- 14-day decline of hospitalizations
- Increased testing available
- Sufficient contact tracing capacity
- Protect high-risk populations
- Adequate health care capacity
- Adequate supply of PPE
- Appropriate physical distancing regulations
Governor Ned Lamont then broke down which businesses officials believe can open on May 20th, which is contingent upon meeting the reopening criteria.
Bridgeport to provide COVID-19 testing for city's first responders
The City of Bridgeport announced Thursday that PhysicianOne Urgent Care will be conducting COVID-19 testing for first responders.
The testing will take place on Saturday, May 2 and Wednesday, May 6.
Officials say first responders do not need to be current or previous patients of PhysicianOne Urgent Care to receive testing.
Individuals must register by the following deadlines:
- 8 p.m. Thursday for Saturday testing
- 8 p.m. Monday for Wednesday testing
Register online here.
According to a release, after registering, first responders will receive a text message including a link regarding next steps to complete registration.
A photo ID must be present on the day of testing.
For help with registration, please call 855-349-2828.
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance rollout from the Department of Labor
The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) for self-employed will begin today. Expecting applicants to apply through http://filectui.com If you are self-employed, begin applying--this is a two-step process.
Retroactive payments will begin by the end of the week
The Department of Labor said the retroactive payments for unemployment should begin by the end of this week.
NYC subway will halt overnight service due to virus
Gov. Andrew Cuomo says New York City is shutting down its subway system each day from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. to increase cleaning of trains and stations during the coronavirus crisis. Subway trains, which had been disinfected at least once every 72 hours, will now be cleaned once every 24 hours.
Cuomo said Thursday that buses, vans, and other alternative transportation will be provided at no charge to essential workers while the subway is closed.
Hartford HealthCare COVID-19 update
There are 491 COVID-19 patients being cared for across the Hartford HealthCare system as of Thursday, April 30th, according to an official with HHC. During a briefing, Keith Grant, HHC's Director of Infection Prevention, said there are an additional 136 patients who are under investigation or PUI.
Grant, an APRN, compared some of the latest data to numbers from April 15th. He said on currently there are a total of 349 patients in HHC's acute care settings.
“If you look at that 349 and we compare it to what happened on 4/15, so on 4/15 we're at 386 patients that were positive, with 82 PUIs," said Grant. "Over that time period…we're seeing a reduction in positive patients and that's a very, very good thing. So when people ask, 'Keith where do you see this going, when do you see this breaking?' There's some light to be seen at the end of the tunnel at this point."
Grant said another positive piece of data was an increase in the number of patients being cared for in HHC's community health care network.
"That represents a transition of care in the Hartford HealthCare system. We see an increase in the numbers now, which means there's a lot of patients transitioning to that level of care, which is very, very positive," Grant said.
On Thursday, officials also stressed the safety of the Emergency Department. Dr. Ken Robinson, the Chair for Emergency Medicine at Hartford Healthcare, said the department is divided up, and urged patients who need Emergency Room care for non-COVID related illnesses to do so.
When asked about resuming elective surgeries, Grant said there are still a lot of decisions being made but hoped it could be soon. He said he did not have a timeframe, adding HHC still needs to coordinate with state and federal agencies.
Curtis Packaging Corporation Manufactures PPE
Curtis Packaging Corporation, founded in 1845, is a luxury packaging company that recently pivoted production lines to the manufacturing Face Shields.
“We felt it was our responsibility to aid in the fight against COVID-19 by protecting essential front-line workers. In less than two weeks, we went from conception to full-on production (www.curtiscares.life). We are now manufacturing up to 150,000 shields per day!”
Rep. Jahana Hayes quarantines for 14 days after husband tests positive for COVID-19
COVID-19 has hit home for Connecticut Congresswoman Jahana Hayes. According to a release, Rep. Hayes’ husband has tested positive for the disease.
In a statement, Rep Hayes said, "This week, my husband, a first responder in the City of Waterbury was exposed to and tested positive for COVID-19 at his workplace. I'm incredibly grateful that at this time he seems to be healthy and asymptomatic."
Rep. Hayes said she was also tested for COVID-19 due to her exposure, but her test returned negative. Out of an abundance of caution, and in line with CDC guidance, Rep. Hayes said she will be quarantining at home for the next 14-days and self-monitoring for symptoms.
Testing site canceled New Haven due to weather
The testing site at 1312 Chapel Avenue in New Haven (on the corner of Day Street) will be closed Thursday due to inclement weather.
They will reopen the site on May 1st. They ask people to please register for an appointment. You can register between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tests are available regardless of insurance status.
Learn more about the testing sites on the City of New Haven's website.
Newport Jazz Festival canceled
Officials announced on the Newport Jazz website that the festival for 2020 has been canceled.
You can learn more about the cancelation here.
Old Lyme closes public beaches starting May 2nd
First Selectman Timothy Griswold announced that the public beaches in the Town of Old Lyme will be closed starting on Saturday, May 2nd until further notice. Officials cited the nice weather this weekend and that there will likely be a large number of people seeking to go to the Sound View beaches and other town beaches, as well.
Officials believe that leaving the beaches open would compromise social distancing practices.
April 29
Department of Corrections to use Spray Disinfecting Technology at Hartford Correctional Center
The Connecticut Department of Correction announced Wednesday that it began using spray disinfecting technology within its prisons as another tool in its arsenal to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The dispersal units are called Power Breezers.
According to a release, Power Breezers distribute an atomized disinfectant mist as far as 25 feet away and up to a 60-degree radius cone.
Each unit can hold up to 85 gallons of EPA/CDC approved disinfectant.
Following the Hartford Correctional Center, the spray disinfecting technology will be used at Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center located in Uncasville.
DOC says it purchased six units.
Officials intend to spray each of the state's facilities.
The Power Breezers are currently being used nationwide by the U.S. Military, as well as by Fortune 500 Companies.
See the units below.
Yale-New Haven Health celebrates their 1500th discharged COVID patient today 3pm
Yale-New Haven Health will celebrate a milestone this afternoon with the discharge of recovered COVID-19 patient 1,500 across YNHHS.
Hartford Healthcare opens mobile testing site
Hartford HealthCare opened its first mobile testing site this morning—in partnership with the City of Hartford and The Open Hearth, the oldest continually operating housing program from men on the East Coast.
Third inmate dies from COVID-19 complications
The Connecticut Department of Correction announced today that a third offender under its supervision passed away on Tuesday, April 28th, from complications related to the novel coronavirus.
The 74-year-old offender, who was last housed at the Osborn Correctional Institution, had been receiving medical attention at the UConn Health Center in Farmington since April 19th. He is not being identified at this time.
Officials say the offender had preexisting underlying medical conditions and succumbed to his illness Tuesday evening.
The individual entered the correctional system on April 17, 1970, and was serving a life sentence for Murder.
Updates from Hartford Healthcare
Hartford HealthCare is expanding COVID-19 testing by launching several testing centers and mobile testing units.
During a Wednesday morning briefing, Dr. Ajay Kumar, the chief clinical officer for Hartford HealthCare, said three testing facilities would soon open in Norwich, Westport, and Newington, pending state approval.
In addition, Hartford HealthCare will have mobile testing centers, which Dr. Kumar said will be focused on vulnerable areas. Dr. Kumar described the mobile units as a van with testing capabilities.
"We want to make sure that individuals who don't have cars or capable means of transport…we can go to them. We can go to the proximity of the neighborhood to be able to test," Dr. Kumar said. "That's important because the most vulnerable populations are underserved individuals that actually have chronic medical disease are generally the ones that have difficulty in transport as well."
He added Hartford HealthCare increased the number of COVID-19 tests it can do each day from less than 200 to more than 2,000. He said previous tests were also being reserved for certain patients that met specific criteria, but now testing can be done on anyone with symptoms. Dr. Kumar said a physician's referral is still required.
As of Wednesday, Dr. Kumar said there are more than 350 COVID-19 positive patients in the acute facilities across the Hartford HealthCare system.
Mohegan Sun to stay closed through May 12th
Mohegan Sun announced it will remain closed to the public through May 12th due to COVID-19 concerns.
They say re-opening date options continue to be discussed by working closely with the Mohegan Tribal Council and the State of Connecticut’s Governor’s Office, and by monitoring federal health and safety guidelines.
For Mohegan Sun event and entertainment postponements, reschedules, and additional information related to the temporary closure, a dedicated updates page is located via mohegansun.com/updates
Testing site opens in New Haven
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker announced a testing site will open starting today at 1319 Chapel Street. The mayor had said the area was seeing a lot of COVID-19 activity.
The site is scheduled to launch today at 8 a.m. and will run Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
April 28
Hartford to destroy seized ATVs, dirt bikes, Mayor to give COVID-19 update
Today at 2 p.m. the City of Hartford will destroy 31 ATVs and dirt bikes it has seized.
Destruction will take place at Corona’s Auto Parts at 608 Wethersfield Avenue.
Mayor Luke Bronin will also give an update on the capital city’s response to coronavirus.
Officials say the Hartford Police Department has been conducting and will continue to conduct regular operations targeted at the illegal use of motorized recreational vehicles.
The operation of motorized recreational vehicles is prohibited on public property in the City of Hartford, and vehicles are subject to seizure.
Insomnia Cookies donating $1 from from Cookie Cake sales to Red Cross
Insomnia Cookies announced they are once again partnering with the American Red Cross to bring back the popular Heart-shaped Cookie Cakes to support COVID-19 relief efforts.
$1 from every heart-shaped cake will be donated to the non-profit organization.
Insomniacs around the country can support this sweet partnership until May 31.
The fan-favorite cake comes in 9 traditional cookie flavors and can be customized with a cake center image or icing.
To find out if you’re within the delivery radius, enter your address into the location finder on Insomnia’s website.
Madison Chrysler dealership is open for business
Officials say Madison Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram is open and fully staffed to service the community.
Safety measures being taken amid COVID-19:
- The dealership is being sanitized several times a day.
- Free pickup and delivery for service appointments is being offered. Vehicles will be sanitized at pickup and drop off.
- Sales transactions can be completed online or over the phone.
Connecticut appears to be at peak for COVID-19 hospitalizations
During a Tuesday media briefing, Dr. Ajay Kumar, Hartford HealthCare's Chief Clinical Officer, said the active number of cases are continuing to rise gradually, but he said "our hospitalization seems to have peaked and we've seen some decline in the past several days across Connecticut.”
Dr. Kumar said he expects the number of cases for COVID-19 to continue to rise as more testing is done across the state. He adds nursing homes remain a "wildcard."
According to Dr. Kumar, there are 360 COVID-19 positive patients across the Hartford HealthCare system. More than 1,300 patients have been cared for, and more than 600 patients have recovered from the disease.
America Strong flyover salute to frontline workers can be seen in Stamford
The CT National Guard announced that the Air Force Thunderbirds and U.S. Navy Blue Angels would conducting the #AmericaStrong flyover Tuesday.
According to Gov. Lamont, it could be seen in the Stamford area shortly after 12 p.m.
The flyover is a salute to those working on the frontlines of the battle against COVID-19.
See the flight path below.
April 27
State surpasses 2,000 COVID-19 associated deaths
Connecticut reached another tragic milestone Monday when it was announced by Lamont's office that 2,012 people have now died due to COVID-19.
Fairfield County has the most deaths in the state with 727, followed by Hartford County with 612 deaths.
The state has a total of 25,997 confirmed cases, up 728 people from yesterday. Hospitalizations are at 1,758 which down from yesterday's total by eight people.
For more on the state's latest COVID-19 numbers, click here.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo provide updates on New York's response to the COVID-19 outbreak
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that some parts of the state will not be able to reopen on May 15th, when the state's "Pause Order," expires. However, Governor Cuomo did say some regions might be able to open, but there are many considerations that would need to be taken into account.
Governor Cuomo also announced a total of 337 people have died from COVID-19 in the past 24-hours. He said that number is "still tragically high," but on the decline over the past few days. Governor Cuomo said there are nearly 1,000 new cases of the coronavirus every day, but the hospitalization rate is flat, which could be a result of the weekend.
Governor Cuomo also revealed preliminary results from a statewide antibody survey of 7,500 people, which suggests 14.9% of the state is positive for the COVID-19 antibody.
Gov. Lamont, Sen. Blumenthal encourage people to donate blood
Today at 12:00 p.m., Governor Ned Lamont and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal will visit the Connecticut Police Academy to encourage residents who are healthy to donate blood. The Connecticut State Police and the Red Cross are hosting a blood drive at the Police Academy from noon until 6:00 p.m.
The Red Cross encourages individuals who have fully recovered from COVID-19 to sign-up to give convalescent plasma by completing the donor information form on RedCrossBlood.org/plasma4covid.
Foodshare food distribution in East Hartford continues
Foodshare's free food distribution returned to Rentschler Field this morning to support families in Hartford and Tolland counties during the COVID-19 pandemic.
And new this morning: Face masks will also be distributed at the site.
For those who are not able to drive to East Hartford, Foodshare also has mobile sites where people can go pick up food.
April 26
The Governor's office released the latest numbers for COVID-19 cases Sunday.
There were 687 new cases, bringing the total to 25269. As of Sunday, 62 more people had died of COVID-19 related causes.
1766 Patients are currently Hospitalized, down 44. And 2209 more patients tested for COVID-19 for a total of 79811.
“When you take a broad look at the data over the last two weeks, we’ve shown that we can flatten the curve and control the spread of this virus through kinds of social distancing measures that we’ve implemented – but we are not out of the woods yet,” Governor Lamont said. “When it comes creating an action plan on the steps we should take next, our primary objective needs to focus on not causing any harm to the progress we have made so far, otherwise our infection and hospitalization rates will go right back up.
Latest COVID-19 numbers in United States and worldwide
There were over 939,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 53,000 deaths in the U.S. and over 200,000 deaths worldwide.
Worldwide, there have been over 2.9 million confirmed cases.
Drive through COVID testing sites in Hartford County
PhysicianOne Urgent Care is hosting COVID-19 drive through testing for pre-screened patients at both its Bristol, CT and West Hartford, CT locations Sunday starting at 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. While individuals do not need to be patients of PhysicianOne Urgent Care, all patients must complete a medical evaluation through either a Virtual Visit or at a center prior to receiving a COVID-19 test. The testing locations will also be available for essential workers even if they are asymptomatic.
PhysicianOne Urgent Care in Bristol
576 Farmington Avenue, Bristol, CT 06010
PhysicianOne Urgent Care in West Hartford
21 North Main Street, Suite B, West Hartford, CT 06107
