March felt like a long, crazy month. April is expected to be worse.
President Donald Trump told Americans on Tuesday “to be prepared for the hard days that lie ahead." Meanwhile, Gov. Ned Lamont warned that “April will be a horrible month.”
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One thing that is not cancelled is the U.S. Census. April 1, 2020 is Census Day and everyone is encouraged to fill it out online if they haven’t done so already.
Here’s the latest on the coronavirus in Connecticut...
Topline
- Number of deaths in Connecticut jumped yesterday, due in part to previously unreported deaths from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. As of last night, at least 69 people are known to have died from the coronavirus in Connecticut.
- Connecticut is the 4th most COVID-infected state in the country per capita, says Gov. Ned Lamont, after New York, New Jersey and Louisiana.
- People who recently filed for unemployment because of the coronavirus may not see their benefits until May because of a backlog.
By The Numbers
All numbers are as of March 31 at 7 p.m.
- 69 deaths from COVID-19 (this number has jumped in part because of previously unreported deaths)
- 3,128 confirmed cases
- Fairfield County: 1,870
- New Haven County: 517
- Hartford County: 393
- Litchfield County: 121
- Tolland County: 56
- Middlesex County: 56
- New London County: 27
- Windham County: 11
- Pending address validation: 77
- More than 15,600 people tested
The Latest
- Gov. Ned Lamont offered a bleak outlook as the peak of the pandemic is set to arrive in less than two weeks. “The national strategic stockpile is empty,” Lamont said Tuesday about personal protective equipment and ventilators. “For now, we’re on our own.” He also announced an additional 33 fatalities from COVID-19. Sixteen of those deaths occured in the previous 24 hours. The other 17 had been unreported.
- Grocery stores are capping the number of people allowed inside to 50% of the store’s local fire code capacity. It will be up to store staff to count people coming in and out of the store. The Connecticut Food Association is asking households to send only one person to the store, with exceptions being made if there are family or child care issues.
- Mystic Seaport is laying off nearly 200 employees because of the coronavirus. However, the museum expects the cuts to be temporary. “We will reopen, we are not closing for good, Mystic Seaport Museum will be back,” said spokesman Dan McFadden.
Other Reads On The Coronavirus
- I’m a Doctor Fighting 2 Epidemics: Coronavirus and Gun Violence - Elinore Kaufman for The New York Times
- Tips From Someone With 50 Years Of Social Distancing Experience - Rae Ellen Bichell for NPR
- The Eight Types of People We Become on Zoom - Rodger Sherman Davies for The Ringer
Good Music Released During A Bad Month
Need a break from the news? NPR Music has released its list of the best albums of March, and they couldn’t keep it to just the top 10.
- Bad Bunny, 'YHLQMDLG'
- Caroline Rose, 'Superstar'
- Childish Gambino, '3.15.20'
- Irreversible Entanglements, 'Who Sent You?'
- Jay Electronica, 'A Written Testimony'
- Jhené Aiko, 'Chilombo'
- Lil Uzi Vert, 'Eternal Atake'
- Porridge Radio, 'Every Bad'
- Shabaka and the Ancestors, 'We Are Sent Here By History'
- Víkingur Oláfsson, 'Debussy – Rameau'
- Waxahatchee, 'Saint Cloud'
NPR also made a playlist of their favorite songs of the month:
Go give some new music a listen and let us know what you liked. Let me know at tives@ctpublic.org or on Twitter. When you’re ready to get caught back up on the news, we’ll still be here.
Stay safe. Stay sane. Stay distant.
