Here’s the latest on the coronavirus outbreak in the region:
The Roman Catholic Diocese in Brooklyn and a group of Orthodox Jewish synagogues filed two separate petitions to the U.S. Supreme Court. They say pandemic-related restrictions violate their religious freedom. In New York, religious gatherings are limited to 10 or 25 people in certain COVID-19 hotspots to curb the spread of the virus.
On Long Island, the 7-day positive test rate is 3.27%. The rest of New York is at 2.92%. The 7-day positive COVID-19 test rate in Connecticut increased to 5.67%, according to data released by the state.
In-person learning for about 120 students with special needs in New Haven, Connecticut has been put on hold due to an uptick in cases. The rest of the city’s students are already learning from home. Connecticut’s top education official says he will continue to allow local governments and school districts to decide when to move classrooms online.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will forgo his scheduled $25,000 raise for 2021, keeping his current salary of $225,000. His raise was included in 2019 legislation. A state panel this week denied Cuomo, state lawmakers and judges an additional raise next year as the state confronts a $16 billion budget deficit. Cuomo also asked his commissioners to forgo raises.