HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Connecticut’s official coronavirus death toll rose Saturday by another 98 people to 1, 862.
Gov. Ned Lamont’s office reported the state has recorded 24,582 cases of COVID-19, up by 661 cases from Friday.
But, the number of people hospitalized with the virus dropped by 67 patients to 1,810.
The governor’s office said 77,602 people have been tested in Connecticut, a figure that has risen by more than 3,500 since Friday.
Lamont said in the coming days and weeks his administration expects to be “significantly increasing the state’s capacity to test our residents, specifically those who are on the front lines, because testing is a key component of re-opening our economy.”
The governor hopes to make some reopening decisions by May 2.
In other COVID-19 developments around Connecticut:
A second Connecticut prison inmate has died after contracting the new coronavirus.
The 57-year-old inmate from the Willard-Cybulski Correctional Institution in Enfield began showing symptoms on April 14 and was being put into a quarantine unit for testing when his condition worsened, the department said
He was instead taken to Johnson Memorial Hospital, where he died Saturday morning, the department said.
The man had been in prison since 2002 and was serving a 22-year sentence for robbery. The department said he suffered from a pre-existing medical condition.
“The statewide statistics that speak to the number of people that have lost their lives fighting this deadly virus is a difficult number to process because the reality is, it is so much more than a number – these are human beings with families that love them. I extend my sincere condolences to this family,” Correction Commissioner Rollin Cook said in a statement.
The first Connecticut inmate to die of COVID-19-related causes was an inmate in his 60s, who also had a pre-existing condition. He died on April 13.
The department reported on Friday that it had 357 inmates and 282 staff members who had tested positive for the coronavirus.
For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.
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A Bridgeport man charged with murder in a Valentine’s Day fatal shooting is seeking to be released from prison because he has contracted COVID-19.
Victor Arroyo, 22, is being held in lieu of more than $2 million bond. He was transferred Wednesday from the Bridgeport Correctional Center to the coronavirus isolation unit at Northern Correctional Institution, the state’s maximum security prison.
His attorney, Frank Riccio II filed a motion seeking his release, writing that the state does not properly know how to care for its detainees during the pandemic. A hearing is scheduled for Monday.
The Department of Correction already faces both state and federal lawsuits over its handling of inmates with COVID-19.
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FREE MASKS
Governor Lamont said Saturday that his administration is partnering with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association to distribute free face coverings to eligible, essential small businesses with fewer than 50 employees.
Businesses that qualify can request up to two free face coverings per employee by filling out a form online.
Requested face coverings will be distributed next week through the municipality in which the business is located.
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MINORITY TESTING
The city of Hartford is moving to increase testing for the coronavirus, offer free transportation to testing appointments and launch a community education campaign to lessen the impact on black, Hispanic and low-income residents, who have been hit disproportionately hard in communities of color across the country.
About 820 city residents have tested positive for the virus and about 72 have died as of Friday, but Mayor Luke Bronin said the true scope of the local outbreak is unknown because of the lack of widespread testing.
The city will also be conducting outreach to families who have confirmed cases of the virus, as well as those with suspected cases and is putting together a public education campaign in English and Spanish that will promote social distancing, wearing masks and hand washing, as well as provide information on health services and other resources.
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FALL CLASSES
The president of the University of Connecticut has told faculty, staff and students to prepare for the possibility of the continuation of online teaching this fall.
UConn President Thomas Katsouleas said in a statement Friday that although no firm decision has been made, “faculty should plan as though courses will be delivered online in the fall.”
He expects a decision by June 30.
He also announced that instruction for the university’s second summer session, scheduled to start July 13, will be delivered online.
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