The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
COVID deaths, hospitalizations drop in state
As the state began celebrating from a distance over Memorial Day weekend, hospitalizations and deaths from coronavirus continued to decline in Connecticut on Sunday — even as health officials found more than 400 new cases.
Statewide, 18 new deaths were reported from COVID-19, according to data released by Gov. Ned Lamont’s office Sunday afternoon.
The new deaths brought the coronavirus death toll in Connecticut to 3,693.
Health officials reported 446 new infections, bringing the total number of cases in the state up to 40,468. Around Connecticut, 701 people remained hospitalized with the disease, down by 23 cases from the day before.
With many Memorial Day parades and other events canceled, several communities announced alternative plans to commemorate those lost in war that reflected the new normal.
In Stamford, city officials held a socially distanced Memorial Day ceremony with attendees wearing masks and standing or sitting far apart. The event was also live streamed on Facebook.
In Norwalk, where organizers canceled the city Memorial Day parade, Mayor Harry Rilling asked residents to honor the fallen by leaving a light in a window or placing a candle on their porch.
Musicians organized by the American Legion have said they plan to play Taps on Monday along the Housatonic River from the coastline to the Massachusetts border in honor of the holiday.
Despite restrictions, Sunday’s bright blue skies and temperatures in the 70s brought crowding to state parks. As with many other nice weekends this spring, by mid-afternoon, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection had closed eight parks after parking lots filled to capacity. The daily closures included the popular Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden and C.P. Huntington State Park in Redding and Bethel.
A ninth park, Osbornedale State Park in Derby, was closed after a police manhunt for a man linked to a homicide in Willington and possibly another in Derby.
With offices, retail stores, and outdoor dining at restaurants reopened last Wednesday, Gov. Ned Lamont last week roughly outlined plans for the next phase of reopening on June 20. That reopening is to include gyms, nail salons, and tattoo parlors. Hair salons and barbershops, originally slated to reopen May 20, were delayed until June 1.
That plan comes as New York Sunday announced plans to reopen other regions around Connecticut in the coming week.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the mid-Hudson region is on track to reopen on Tuesday, with Long Island set to reopen the following day. On Long Island, the governor said workers would add cars to trains to help spread riders apart from one another, and crews would be working to clean and disinfect both trains and buses.
Cuomo also announced Sunday the state will allow professional sports teams to open training camps.
“I believe that sports that can come back without having people in the stadium… do it. Work out the economics if you can,” Cuomo said.