WETHERSFIELD, Conn. (WTIC and AP) - Newly released numbers show Connecticut lost a historic 266,300 net jobs in April, due mostly to the coronavirus pandemic. While all industries experienced signifcant declines, the leisure and hospitality, retail trade and education and health services sectors were hit the hardest, according to the Department of Labor.Andy Condon, the agency's director of the Office of Research, said Thursday it's too soon to tell how many of the jobs were suspended and will return as more of the state's economy is allowed to reopen, and how many were permanently lost.“If you talk about on a percentage basis, the Stamford area was hit very hard. The pandemic issue there was very difficult,” Condon said. “The southeast part of the state on percentage basis was hit very hard, perhaps a little worse on a percentage basis that other parts of the state. But everyone was significantly damaged.”While the federal government's statistics indicate Connecticut now has a 7.9% unemployment rate, state Labor Comissioner Kurt Westby said that's inaccurate and the figure is more likely 17.5%.
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTIC and AP) - State officials on Wednesday announced restrictions at state parks as summer approaches.The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said swimming will be allowed at state beaches on the shoreline when they reopen Friday, but swimming areas at inland state parks will be closed. Officials cited the limited size of the beach and swim areas at inland parks and social distancing rules.Visitors to shoreline beaches must keep their blanket and chair areas a minimum of 15 feet from other beachgoers, allowing for a 6-foot radius around each person and a 3-foot walkway between groups.Officials will limit parking at shoreline beaches and close them if social distancing rules are not followed. Visitors should wear masks whenever they are near other people, but officials say masks should not be worn in the water. Lifeguards will not be on duty this early in the season.Campgrounds will remain closed until at least June 11.
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTIC and AP) — Restaurants can begin offering service in outdoor dining areas Wednesday as part of the first phase of Connecticut's statewide reopening, including in hard-hit Fairfield County on the New York state line.Gov. Ned Lamont and some eatery owners have said they will be wary of customers visiting from nearby sections of New York, where restaurants among other businesses remain closed.While infection rates have been declining, the southwestern part of the state was affected by an outbreak in the greater New York City area worse than any other in the country. Fairfield County has had 122 deaths associated with COVID-19 per every 100,000 residents, compared with 119 fatalities per 100,000 in Manhattan, according to state figures.Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo said most people are looking forward to getting back at least a little sense of normalcy.“There are varying degrees of concern about health,” he said. “It’s not just, ’Let’s reopen and flip the switch.' But business owners are itching to open up and I think people are itching to get out and grab something to eat outside and maybe buy something from a vendor.”Matt Storch, the owner of two Fairfield County restaurants, said after going over the logistics and finances, he came to the conclusion that just doesn’t make sense to open the Match Restaurant in South Norwalk and Match Burger Lobster in Westport — at least not yet.“I’m questioning whether or not I take the expense to purchase all the tables and umbrellas and the signage needed,” he said. “It’s a hefty out-of-pocket expense and I’m trying to conserve as much capital as I can.”He said he’s also not convinced that being open during a holiday weekend would be safe for his staff, with people potentially coming in large numbers including from neighboring New York.At a news conference last week, Lamont, a Democrat, said there was a desire to avoid traffic across state lines for restaurants and bars.“I'm going to watch that like a hawk,” he said.Under the state guidelines, restaurateurs who decide to open must print out disposable menus or have the options posted on boards, silverware must be packaged or rolled up, and patrons must abide social distancing.Malls and stores also can welcome customers, but seating areas, food courts and fitting rooms must remain closed and there must be separate entrances and exits, barriers at checkout and and signs or tape to keep shoppers 6-feet apart. More offices can also open, but Lamont is urging people to continue to work from home, if possible.
HARTFORD, CONN. (WTIC Radio)_ Many Connecticut stores, attractions and restaurants aren't planning to immediately set up shop Wednesday when some restrictions are lifted in the first phase of Gov. Ned Lamont's plan to reopen the state from its COVID-19 shutdown.The state will allow the reopening of outdoor dining areas, offices, retail shops and malls, museums and zoos, and outdoor recreation businesses _ all with social distancing requirements.Scott Dolch, the executive director of the Connecticut Restaurant Association, said he expects only about 25% of the state's restaurants will have the ability to offer the outdoor-only service.He said many are weighing the financial benefits of having just a few outside tables open, with seating limited to parties of five or fewer, against costs such as buying patio furniture and umbrellas. Others are still waiting for municipalities to finalize plans for street closures or get needed approvals to use parking lots and other non-traditional spaces for dining.``This is about survival right now,'' he said. ``This isn't about a business model to make money in any capacity. This is about deciding what it looks like for your restaurant and what it might look like in 30 days or 90 days from now.''Max Restaurant Group founder and president Richard Rosenthal said all but one of his seven Connecticut restaurants will open on Wednesday, even though the most prudent thing to do financially would be to stay closed. He said Max Downtown in Hartford will remain shuttered, because they could not figure out a viable outdoor seating plan.``We want to be open,'' he said. ``We want to be relevant. We want to be on people's mind. We want to see our regulars. It just feels like we should be open.''He said he and other restaurant owners are desperately hoping for a warm and dry May and June. He's also hoping the businesses and offices around his restaurants begin to reopen, to provide a customer base.The Mystic Seaport Museum, which replicates a working 19th-century seafaring village, will start allowing tourists back on Saturday with free admission. But nobody will be allowed inside the buildings or onto the boats and tall ships, including the Mayflower II.There won't be the usual demonstrations and exhibits, but people will be allowed to walk around the village and the museum's 19 acres of waterfront, said Dan McFadden, the museum's spokesman.Officials are still working out how to handle logistics, such as lines at the restrooms, where only one family will be allowed in at a time.The Seaport has estimated it could have 800 visitors and still be able to maintain social distancing, but plans to cap visitation for the time being with at 250 people and re-evaluate staffing and programming later in June.``We are going to see how people behave and what people do and want to do while they are there,'' he said.The Shoppes at Buckland Hills, a mall in Manchester, will open on Wednesday. But General Manager Virginia Pepe said some stores are still in the process of training staff and implementing all the social-distancing guidelines, such as making separate entrances and exits and putting up Plexiglas at the checkouts.``The feedback from some retailers is they might not open with us Wednesday, but they will be open by the weekend or even next week,'' she said.There have been nearly 38,500 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Connecticut, resulting in 3,472 deaths _ an increase of 23 since Monday. Testing continues to increase as hospitalizations continue to decrease.``These are trend lines that I think give us some confidence that what we're trying to do tomorrow, with our slow and methodical reopening, the timing is right. We've hit the key metrics that we thought we would,'' Lamont said.Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and a Connecticut resident who appeared on Lamont's daily briefing said he also believes the state is at the point where it can ``contemplate a thoughtful staged reopening of the economic activity, having been successful in flattening the curve.'' He said it's now time to move from ``population-based mitigation`` to targeting the virus by identifying infected people, getting them tested, and reaching out to anyone they came in contact with and helping them self-isolate. He said it's important to make sure that testing positive doesn't become ``a punitive thing.''For most people, the virus that has swept the globe causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTIC Radio) - Connecticut hair salons and barbershops will not open on Wednesday after all.Governor Ned Lamont says those businesses will now remain closed until early June, and will be reopened in coordination with the State of Rhode Island.Hair cutting and styling businesses were to be part of the state's first phase of reopenings from coronavirus shutdowns ordered in mid March.Lamont says he made the decision after speaking with business owners and employees.“We’ve been hearing a lot of feedback from many owners and employees, and at this time I think the best approach is that we hit pause on the reopening of hair salons and barbershops, take a step back, and allow some more time as preparations continue to be made,” Lamont said in a press release issued Monday afternoon.
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTIC and AP) — Gov. Ned Lamont is getting some support from the chief clinical officer at Hartford HealthCare on his decision to begin reopening the state's economy Wednesday amid the coronavirus pandemic.Dr. Ajay Kumar, who overseas the clinical operations in a system that includes seven acute care hospitals and more than 30,000 health care workers, said Monday that while there is no playbook, the models he's studied support the governor's decision.The state plans to begin the gradual, multi-stage process of lifting restrictions on businesses and activities, including allowing limited outdoor dining at restaurants. Retail establishments, hair salons, outdoor exhibits at zoos and museums, outdoor recreation and university research programs will also be allowed to open with detailed, social distancing restrictions.“I think this is the right place to be at this time,” Kumar said. “We need to be cautious. We need to be optimistic. But at the same time we need to continue to follow the safety principals.”Kumar said he believes the state will see a slower increase in the number of reported positive cases and a continued decline in hospitalizations. But he also cautioned the death toll likely will continue to rise by about 50 to 60 a day, being driven by cases in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.“As our society opens up, I think if we continue to follow social distancing, some discipline around the travel, we're going to hopefully reach a place where we're going to be able to live with the COVID-19 in our community,” he said.“I don't think its going to be a 100% opening for the near future and I don't think we're going to see a complete elimination of COVID-19 from our society for a long time — until a vaccine comes up or good therapies come a long way," he added.For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.In other coronavirus-related developments around Connecticut:HOSPITAL VISITSDisability rights advocates are urging the president and CEO of Hartford Hospital individually to change the hospital’s strict “no-visitor” policies because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and allow people with disabilities to bring a support person with them.In an open letter to Jeffrey A. Flaks, released Sunday, one family told the story of a 73-year-old wife and mother who arrived at Hartford Hospital on April 19 alone, unable to communicate, with severe short-term memory loss. With no family at the hospital, they said there have been “numerous misunderstandings and missteps in her care,” leading her to be confused, frightened and unnecessarily restrained.Earlier this month, several disability rights organizations submitted a complaint to the Office for Civil Rights, arguing that Connecticut’s guidance on hospital visitation policies during the pandemic violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.In an addendum to that complaint, released Sunday, the groups said Hartford Hospital continues to violate the unnamed 73-year-old woman’s civil rights by refusing to modify its no-visitor policy and denying her access to effective communication.Dr. Kumar said Hartford HealthCare continues to evaluate its policy and has made accommodations for patients who need support. He said the hospital also is using electronic tablets and other measures to make sure patients remain in contact with family members.
From honking protestors to state GOP leaders to business associations, Gov. Lamont has heard it from all sides on "reopening,"Now, the complaints are coming from some of the governor's closest allies in the State Senate.Even so, partial reopening for next Weds., May 20th, appears to be on track.Notes from the governor's Thursday news briefing:TOO SOON, OR NOT SOON ENOUGH?Some Senate Democrats say the governor is moving too soon to ease coronavirus restrictions.Sen. Saud Anwar (D/South Windsor), a doctor and pulmonary specialist, signed on to a pair of letters to Gov. Lamont, co-signed by some of his Senate colleagues.Anwar, who told reporters recently he's been self-quarantined since the start of the crisis, says the governor's goal of 42,000 tests per week to open by May 20th falls well short of what's needed to protect the public.Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano (R/North Haven) had unsuccessfully asked the governor to move the reopening date up to May 10th.Chief of Staff Paul Mounds says all the legislative leaders have been briefed, and the governor is considering their input: "Many of their comments and inputs from the caucuses led to modifications to many of the standards that have been put out. Dr. Ko did an hour-and-a-half call just with Sen. Fasano the other day based upon a request he has... We've been working in collaboration (with the legislature) in all aspects as it deals with this reopening."The Connecticut Restaurant Association and business leaders have been asking for indoor service at restaurants to reopen earlier than June 20th, the date suggested this week by the governor.THE LATEST FROM DPH--3,219 dead (+94)--1,103 hospitalized (-55)--35,464 known COVID-19 cases (+60)--149,562 tests (roughly 4.4% of the state population) completed (+6619)
(Hartford, Conn./WTIC) - The state will reap $111 million in relief aid for schools by way of the federal government.The funding to support learning and address COVID-19 disruptions is being made available by the U.S. Department of Education under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund of the CARES act passed in Congress last month.About $11.1 million of that funding is being reserved for the state Department of Education. The other $99 million is to be distributed to local districts based how much funding under Title I they received during the 2019-20 fiscal year.The federal funding is on top of the $27.8 million that the state received under the Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund.The state Education Department will put together an application process with questions for school districts which will, in part, determine the level of need in specific areas.
As many restaurants prepare to reopen for outdoor seating next week, Gov. Lamont faces pressure from the industry to allow others to open for indoor seating earlier than planned.For the first time, the governor says indoor seating could open by June 20th. 150 business leaders have signed a letter asking for a June 3rd start.Notes from the governor's Wednesday news briefing:STATE SENATORS WHO RUN RESTAURANTS BACK THE GOVERNORSen. Paul Formica (R/East Lyme), who owns Flanders Fish Market in East Lyme, and Sen. Christine Cohen (D/Guilford), who owns Cohen's Bagels in Madison, are backing the governor's gradual approach to opening the industry.Formica: "The move to outside dining will be good for our customers to enjoy our products in a relaxed and safe environment. I have a deck and other outdoor space on our property to put tables out there. The forecast for the next 7 days, however, includes 4 days of rain. So, while this may be a prudent and measured start, there are many restaurants... that solely outside dining is not going to work for."Cohen: "Customer comfort levels are going to be dependent on other patrons' behavior to an extent we haven't seen before... Now we also have to become extremely concerned with how other customers are behaving in terms of their own safety protocols. We just have not experienced anything like this before." WTIC AUDIO ON DEMAND EXTRAIn the attached audio at the top of this page, WTIC's Dave Mager speaks to Randy McNamara, CEO of Geno's Restaurant Group, owned by Geno Auriemma. McNamara says their new restaurant, Cafe Aura in Manchester, has no space for outdoor seating (restaurants can open on May 20th, but only for outdoor seating). He says restaurants should be able to open for indoor seating earlier than the date floated by Gov. Lamont, June 20th.THE LATEST FROM CT DPH:--3,125 dead (+84)--1,158 hospitalized (-31)--34,855 cases (+522)--142,943 (roughly 4.2% of state population) tested; (+4,122)
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTIC and AP) — A judge in Connecticut has ruled that officials at the federal prison in Danbury are not moving fast enough to protect inmates from the coronavirus and has ordered authorities to implement a process by Friday to move as many prisoners as possible to home confinement.U.S. District Judge Michael Shea in Hartford issued the order Tuesday in a class-action lawsuit filed by four Danbury inmates, who say prison officials are not taking seriously a directive in early April from Attorney General William Barr to maximize transfers to home confinement.Congress gave prison officials authority on March 27 to transfer inmates to home confinement to protect them. The four Danbury inmates, three women and a man, all have health conditions that place them at greater risk for developing serious complications from COVID-19.“The four inmates ... have made a preliminary showing that officials at FCI Danbury are making only limited use of their home confinement authority, as well as other tools at their disposal to protect inmates during the outbreak,” Shea wrote in his ruling, “and that these failures amount to deliberate indifference to a substantial risk of serious harm to inmates in violation of the Eighth Amendment.”Prisons across the country are dealing with significant virus outbreaks.At Danbury, the Bureau of Prisons says 75 inmates and 57 staff have contracted the virus, and one inmate died. The prison houses about 1,000 inmates.The Bureau of Prisons said in a statement Wednesday that it does not comment on pending legal cases. The agency added it immediately began a review of which inmates are suitable for home confinement in response to Barr's directives. Barr's April 3 directive specifically referred to the Danbury prison and federal prisons in Oakdale, Louisiana, and Lisbon, Ohio.Since Barr's directives, the Bureau of Prisons says it has placed nearly 2,500 inmates in home confinement.The four inmates say the only way to contain the virus in the prisons is to decrease their populations. They say social distancing is currently not possible.“Most of the inmates at FCI Danbury live in large, open dormitories with 50 or more other inmates, where they sleep within 3 to 4 feet of between 3 and 5 other prisoners,” Shea wrote in his 74-page ruling.“Prisoners use the same bathrooms and share a limited number of toilets, sinks, and showers, as well as a limited number of telephones and computers, which are located close together in common areas,” he wrote, adding prisoners also say they are forced to line up in close proximity to each other to receive meals and medications.Shea imposed a strict schedule for prison officials to implement a process for determining whether certain inmates can be moved to home confinement. By Friday, officials must provide the judge with a list of medically vulnerable inmates and implement a plan to release as many as possible to home confinement.Within two weeks, prison officials must complete reviews of inmate requests for transfer to home confinement and provide Shea explanations for denials of such requests.In a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, federal prosecutors said the implications of the court orders requested by the inmates would be “staggering” because it would allow judges to commute the sentences of hundreds of prisoners.Prosecutors said the inmates also presented a “distorted picture” of efforts at the Danbury prison to protect prisoners, saying prison officials have made “significant efforts” to respond to the virus.