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Unemployment Stimulus Funds Go Out This Week, As Discussions About Reopening Connecticut Begin

Hartford city hall lion statue
Ryan Caron King
/
Connecticut Public
A statue by Hartford's city hall dons a mask, part of an initiative by the city's public works department to raise awareness of the state's mandate to wear masks in public spaces.

We’re learning more about how restrictions in Connecticut may slowly be lifted in the coming weeks and months. It’s far from a return to the old normal, but it is a preview of what the new normal may look like.

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As the economy slowly gets restarted, social distancing protocols will likely remain in place, so don’t plan on ditching your mask anytime soon.

Also, if you’re in Fairfield County, look out for the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds doing a flyover today. The flight path goes over Stamford around 12:30 p.m.

Here’s the latest on the coronavirus in Connecticut...

By The Numbers

All numbers are as of April 27 at 8 p.m.

  • 2,012 COVID-19-associated deaths
  • 25,997 confirmed cases
    • Fairfield County: 10,763
    • New Haven County: 6,993
    • Hartford County: 5,157
    • Litchfield County: 892
    • Middlesex County: 609
    • New London County: 516
    • Tolland County: 419
    • Windham County: 164
    • Pending address validation: 484
  • More than 90,746 people tested

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The Latest

  • Gov. Ned Lamont expects to make some "very preliminary" decisions about reopening parts of Connecticut's economy in the next 10 to 14 days. Hospitalizations have slowly been declining, and Lamont expects to have a better understanding of the pandemic at that time. He said the restrictions would first be eased on small businesses where employees can maintain social distancing. But he warned that even if businesses start to open up, social distancing requirements will likely remain in place.
  • The state Department of Labor is now processing the $600 unemployment payments for those who have been out of work during the pandemic. According to the Lamont administration, the department had to make some computer fixes to distribute the funds. This applies retroactively to March 26 and people will receive payments from previous weeks in a lump sum by the end of this week. Commissioner Kurt Westby says 340,000 of the 402,000 claims filed since March 13 have now been processed.
  • The monthly number of calls to the Connecticut Poison Control Center have doubled from March 2019 to March 2020. This predates President Donald Trump’s comments about ingesting or injecting disinfectants to combat the coronavirus. Dr. Suzanne Doyon said there were more calls about children ingesting hand sanitizer. More from Connecticut Public Radio’s Nicole Leonard:
Since the pandemic began, Doyon said other calls have involved people using bleach to disinfect grocery produce that they will then eat; residents mixing bleach with other household cleansers like ammonia, which creates a dangerous noxious vapor; and people ingesting large amounts of dietary supplements that lead to toxicity.

Again, people should never ingest bleach or other disinfectant products.

Other Reads On The Coronavirus

Old Favorites, New Tiny Desk

NPR’s traditional Tiny Desk Concert series is suspended because it’s not even remotely conducive to social distancing. But artists are recording their own Tiny Desk Concerts from home. The latest one is from Tiny Desk veterans Rodrigo y Gabriela. They perform from their home in Mexico. 

Make sure you watch -- don’t just listen to -- this performance.  

As the sign behind the duo says, “Trust the process.” I didn’t realize they were Philadelphia 76ers fans.

Stay safe. Stay sane. Stay distant.

Tucker Ives is WNPR's morning news producer.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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