Thumbs up, thumbs down

Thumbs up to the gradual reopening of Connecticut businesses set to begin this week, though it comes with a caveat: This will be nothing like it was when those businesses closed in March. Restaurants will not be open to indoor dining, and all establishments will require patrons to use social distancing whenever possible. The coronavirus crisis is not over, even as the number of hospitalizations has declined, and the danger remains high. This will be a long, slow process in the road back to full recovery, but it’s one the state is eagerly awaiting.

Thumbs down to the pandemic jeopardizing yet another traditional New England business, shellfishing. Since restaurants shut down two months ago, oyster farmers have had nowhere to sell their products. Many are experimenting with innovative ways to survive in the interim, including selling pre-shucked oysters that can be cooked at home. If there’s a positive side to this, it’s that some consumers are learning to chuck themselves, which could give the industry a boost in the long term.

Thumbs up to a rise in Connecticut’s real estate market, driven at least in part by New Yorkers fleeing the city. Real estate agents especially in the state’s southwestern corner, and usually in the higher price range, have reported buyers in the past few weeks looking to escape New

York City paying asking prices on the spot for single-family homes. Even as much of the state economy has been shuttered, Gov. Ned Lamont carved out the real estate industry as an “essential” business in March. Though home sales declined along with the rest of the economy in recent months, officials expect the recent burst of activity to turn those numbers around.

Thumbs up to child care centers, many of which have stayed open during the pandemic, providing in-person child care to those who need it. Beth Bye, commissioner of the state Office of Early Childhood, said the vast majority of the child care providers that have remained open are based in homes. The number of centers that will be needed is expected to grow again as businesses start to reopen and people go back to work.

Thumbs up to a story with a heartwarming ending during a time of so many tragedies. Hart Magnet Elementary School teacher Luciana Lira took in newborn Neysel after his mother, Zully, told her she had the coronavirus while pregnant. With other members of Neysel’s family also testing positive for the virus, Lira (who teaches the baby’s brother) brought Neysel to her home in Stamford. Zully was in a coma for three weeks after the April 1 delivery. The family is now together, and Lira has left behind an unforgettable lesson about compassion.