Cassandra Basler

Connecticut hardened its legal protections this year to protect abortion access and the right of people seeking reproductive healthcare from out of state.

Four people accused of misusing COVID-relief dollars meant for the City of West Haven were indicted today. A federal grand jury in Hartford indicted former State Rep. Michael DiMassa and three others, charged in the theft of more than $1 million in federal COVID-relief funds.

Gov. Ned Lamont is issuing an executive order that will require staff at nursing homes and long-term care facilities to get coronavirus booster shots. The order came as the state announced the daily COVID-19 case rate held steady at about 23%, after climbing to a record high of nearly 24% early in the week.

The first phase of Gov. Ned Lamont's promised 3 million at-home COVID-19 test kits will not make its way to Connecticut as expected. State officials had said Wednesday night that supply chain issues grounded the shipment of tests, but they later confirmed on Thursday evening that a purchase deal fell through.

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said this week the city is doing all it can to ensure that schools will remain open through a class-by-class quarantine strategy. Still, he warned parents to prepare for remote learning at a moment's notice. The guidance comes as students are set to return from holiday break next week, soon after Connecticut continues to chart record COVID-19 positivity rates.

The State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) told its members this week that an arbitrator won them the right to negotiate telework on the job. The news came as an early pandemic-era agreement, which allowed many unionized state employees to work remotely 100% of the time, was set to expire at the end of the year.

Connecticut’s daily COVID-19 testing rate has continued to climb since the spread of the omicron variant hit the state, with a record 14.98% positivity rate reported Tuesday afternoon.

The U.S. Justice Department issued a report on Tuesday that found the Manson Youth Institution in Cheshire, Conn., is violating the rights of young people confined there. Manson is a high-security prison for teenagers and young adults up to the age of 21.

New Haven Acting Police Chief Renee Dominguez has withdrawn her nomination to take the job on a permanent basis. Dominguez would have been the city’s first official female chief, but was rejected by the city’s Board of Alders on Monday.

At least four students in Hamden and New Haven have been arrested in connection with threats against their schools that police are calling part of a hoax trend.