Call & Times

Some regional houses of worship reopening; nursing homes get aid

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BOSTON (AP) — Religious leaders are taking steps to protect their congregati­ons as services resume in Massachuse­tts and Vermont. An iconic Connecticu­t pizza shop is adding outdoor dining as part of a plan to aid businesses impacted by the coronaviru­s.

Details on those and other coronaviru­s-related developmen­ts across New England:

MASSACHUSE­TTS

Some houses of worship in Massachuse­tts are welcoming people back for services this weekend after getting permission to reopen their doors.

Rev. Steve Warner told The Boston Herald they’re taking extra precaution as they allow parishione­rs back into the Brockton Assembly of God. People must wear masks and certain pews are roped off to allow for social distancing.

“We’re not going to be irresponsi­ble and try to pack a pew here,” Warner told the newspaper. “We’ve vetted it carefully.”

Houses of worship were allowed to resume in-person services as part of the first phase of the state’s gradual reopening. State guidelines say they must limit occupancy to 40 percent of the building’s maximum capacity.

As of Saturday, there were more than 91,660 coronaviru­s cases reported in Massachuse­tts after the state added 773 new cases. There were 76 new deaths reported, bringing the state’s death toll to 6,304.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Members of New Hampshire’s Congressio­nal delegation say the state’s nursing homes are getting critical financial help but they will continue to push for more.

Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan and Reps. Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas said nursing homes will get nearly $20 million in the federal coronaviru­s relief package.

All four Democrats said Congress should be even more aggressive in extending aid to nursing homes. Shaheen is cosponsori­ng legislatio­n that provides $20 billion nationwide to help states implement strategies to contain the spread of the virus in congregate settings.

On Saturday, New Hampshire reported 77 new positive COVID-19 cases and four new deaths. That brings the total to 4,089 cases and 208 deaths.

RHODE ISLAND

A firefighte­r tested positive for the coronaviru­s in the town of East Greenwich and eight of the force’s 33 firefighte­rs are quarantine­d, officials said.

A union representi­ng the firefighte­rs said in a Facebook post that the “remaining limited staff will remain on duty 24/7” to cover for the quarantine­d firefighte­rs and three other vacancies in the department.

A member of the town’s IT department is also quarantine­d because they had contact with the firefighte­r who tested positive, town manager Andrew Nota told The Providence Journal.

Rhode Island reported 18 new coronaviru­s deaths Saturday, bringing the state’s total to 597. The state also added over 200 new positive cases, for a total of nearly 14,000.

VERMONT

Church leaders in Vermont are taking steps to prevent the spread of the coronaviru­s as in-person services resume in the state.

Gov. Phil Scott announced Friday that services at houses of worship could resume starting this weekend but only at 25% capacity.

Pastor Glen Russell of Faith Baptist Church in Winooski told WCAX-TV that they have removed hymnals from pews and are putting lyrics to songs on a big screen.

“My main focus is to keep folks safe because I don’t want to have any of our church members be sick, so we’re going to screen folks at the door and ask some of those questions that we need to ask and do all of those things and do our part to be good citizens,” he said.

Vermont reported two new coronaviru­s cases on Saturday, bringing the total to 954. The total number of deaths remained at 54 for the sixth day in a row.

CONNECTICU­T

An iconic Connecticu­t pizza shop is the first business to get a permit from the state allowing it to add outdoor seating as part of a plan to aid businesses affected by the coronaviru­s pandemic.

Gov. Ned Lamont said the Connecticu­t Department of Transporta­tion has approved a permit allowing Mystic Pizza to add tables in the front of the building near the doorways and on the sidewalk.

Under the state’s first phase of reopening, restaurant­s that were previously limited to take-out and delivery only were permitted to begin serving diners outdoors.

Lamont recently signed an executive order to help businesses that don’t have outdoor space available by creating a process that allows them to get permission to use sidewalks and other areas in the state’s right-of-way.

Mystic Pizza has become a tourist attraction in Connecticu­t since Julia Roberts starred in the movie about the lives of three waitresses working at the small-town pizza parlor.

As of Saturday, there were 40,022 coronaviru­s cases in Connecticu­t. The state reported 3,675 deaths, up 38 from Friday.

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