With the second phase of Gov. Ned Lamont’s plan to reopen state businesses set for Wednesday, the governor’s office announced Saturday afternoon that the number of patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 continued to decline. The governor’s office said 233 patients are hospitalized in Connecticut with COVID-19 -- 11 fewer than Friday.
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Throughout the course of the pandemic, the governor has said that testing will be a major benchmark as nail salons, gyms and bowling alleys prepare to reopen later this week. There have been 342,338 COVID-19 tests reported in Connecticut, with 13,985 additional tests given since yesterday, according to public health data released Saturday afternoon.
There were 305 new reported confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 in the state Saturday with 44,994 overall since the start of the pandemic, according to the data. There have been 4,186 deaths associated with COVID-19 in the state after 27 more were reported Saturday.
Protesters March To Bloomfield Resident’s Home
Rallies and protests for police reform and against racial injustice continued Saturday. Protesters marched from the Bloomfield Town Hall Green to the home of Michael Fannon, a white resident charged with second-degree breach of peace and interfering with an officer, according to court records.
Fannon, 56, is accused of having a gun while questioning Chazre Douglas, 28, a black man, about what he was doing in the area. Douglas told police he pulled over Sunday to talk on his cell phone and was in the neighborhood to be paid for mowing lawns, according to The Hartford Courant. Fannon admitted to police he had a handgun with him -- after first denying it -- and described himself as a neighborhood watch member, the Courant reported.
Fannon is released from custody. His next court date is scheduled for Aug. 13 in Hartford Community Court.
Program Encourages Residents To Visit Farms This Summer
The Connecticut Resource Conservation and Development is inviting residents to visit local farms and rural businesses this summer. The Tour des Farms Fundraiser has organized bike rides on specific dates in select regions in the past. But with social distancing guidelines in effect this year, the group has put together stops across the state and visitors are welcome to ride motorcycles and cars to visit farms anytime this summer.
The program officially starts June 20 and will include eight regional routes, each featuring six to 10 farms with 75 farms participating overall. Information about the ride and registration details can be found at ?tourdesfarms.org?. Participants are asked to donate to the 2020 Connecticut Tour des Farms Program Fund.
State Parks Close After Reaching Capacity
Several Connecticut State Parks closed early Saturday after parking lots reached capacity.
The parks included:
- Hammonasset Beach State Park, Madison
- Harkness Memorial State Park, Waterford
- Millers Pond State Park, Haddam
- Rocky Neck State Park, East Lyme
- Sherwood Island State Park, Westport
- Silver Sands State Park, Milford
- Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden
- Southford Falls State Park, Southbury
- Wadsworth Falls State Park, Middletown
