Here’s the latest on the coronavirus outbreak in the region:
The board that oversees high school sports in Connecticut has postponed all sports and practice until January 19. Earlier this month, state health officials recommended moving state competitions to the spring, and banned out-of-state games. Next year, players of all sports will be told to wear masks and social distance during play.
The 7-day positive COVID-19 test rate in Connecticut has increased to 5.7%, according to data released by the state on Monday. Three more states and the city of Chicago have asked Connecticut travelers to quarantine for 14 days or provide a negative test result upon arrival due to the state’s high-infection rate.
- Alaska
- California
- Hawaii
- Illinois (Chicago only)
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Mexico
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Vermont
- Washington
- Washington D.C.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont says he has no plans to lock down the state or reinstate additional restrictions, as the state tries to curb a steady climb in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
Lamont also asked President Trump to extend the support of the Connecticut National Guard until June in response to the pandemic. The current federal authorization covers 75% of the cost, but is set to expire at the end of the year.
On Long Island, the 7-day positive test rate rose to 3.23%. The rest of New York is at 2.87%.
Lamont joined New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and other governors from Northeastern states over the weekend to discuss a plan for college students returning to the region for the Thanksgiving break, and how together they’ll deal with an expected uptick in cases over the holidays.
Part of that plan went into effect on Friday in New York to limit gatherings in private homes to 10 people. The state’s sheriffs association says that’s unenforceable, and that they won’t “be peeping in people’s windows.”
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone says police and health department officials will step up enforcement of social gathering rules starting Thanksgiving Eve. He's concerned about further community spread related to parties on the night before Thanksgiving. Bellone says 6 new infections have been tied to a Friendly's restaurant in Riverhead earlier this month.
A state panel decided not to give a pay raise next year to Governor Cuomo, members of the state Legislature, and judges in New York due to the state’s $14 billion budget shortfall heading into 2021.
That means members of the state Legislature will maintain their current base salary of $110,000; Cuomo is expected to make $250,000. That's technically $25,000 more than he made in 2020, but was approved by the state panel earlier in the year.