HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Public schools across Connecticut will be required to stay closed until at least May 20 to fight the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Ned Lamont said Thursday.

Schools had been under orders to stay shuttered until April 20, and Lamont has suggested previously that students might not return until the fall.

“I don’t want us to get complacent and I wouldn’t be surprised if that May 20th date extends as well,” the Democrat said. Lamont, who plans to soon issue an executive order finalizing the new date, said bars, restaurants and other businesses closed for the outbreak could also anticipate opening around May 20 or later.

Statewide nearly 9,800 people have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, and there have been 380 deaths.

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.

Lamont said Thursday the state was seeing some good news, with a daily net increase of 46 hospitalized patients representing the lowest number seen in two weeks.

“It continues a trend, I think the most important trend,” he said, noting how hospitalizations in Fairfield County were down by one compared to Wednesday. While Lamont acknowledged one day of data does not signify a trend, he said it is “glimmer of hope that perhaps we’re reaching a peak” in the state’s hardest hit county.

To date, 1,464 Connecticut patients have been hospitalized.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) —  Connecticut officials said they expect to finally receive some long-awaited personal protective equipment that has been on back-order for weeks. The state has placed 78 orders for 18.8 million pieces of equipment, ranging from N95 respirators to gloves and surgical masks. That’s in addition to 1.8 million units from the national stockpile, which is now closed to states, and 378,000 units that were donated.

“We’ve really been turning over every stone and chasing every opportunity,” said Josh Geballe, Lamont’s COO. “I think we’re getting close to seeing a very significant wave of PPE coming into the state.”

Lamont said the state has had mixed results in obtaining equipment from people who came forward, offering assistance.

“We’ve been inundated with folks who have had access to protective gear, protective gear being everything from the masks, the gowns,” he said. “Of those 1,000 plus that were identified, a lot of them were pretty shaky to tell you the truth. They seemed to have a friend of friend who knew somebody who knew somebody in the Ukraine.”

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) —  New Jersey-based Amneal Pharmaceuticals has donated approximately 400,000 tablets of hydroxychloroquine to be distributed to acute care hospitals in Connecticut. President Donald Trump has been heavily pitching the medication that’s used to treat malaria, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus as a treatment for the coronavirus.

Lamont announced Thursday evening the medication was sent to hospitals across the state, based on the total number of licensed beds. Additional allotments were sent to hospitals supporting or expected to support COVID-19 recovery centers.

Amneal has made similar donations to other states. Connecticut’s allotment was secured through the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection’s Drug Control Division with help from the Connecticut Hospital Association. Very small preliminary studies have suggested it might help coronavirus patients, and doctors can prescribe it off-label for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. But health experts have said more studies are needed to determine whether it’s safe and effective to use.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Department of Labor Commissioner Kurt Westby said his agency hopes to have a new “technical fix” in place in the coming days that will “seriously reduce” the backlog of unemployment applications. The agency was in the middle of upgrading its 40-year-old system when the coronavirus pandemic struck. About 302,000 jobless claims have been filed since March 13, two years of normal claim activity. So far 132,000 of those have been processed, ten times the normal weekly load.

All Connecticut inmates infected with COVID-19 are being relocated to Northern Correctional Institution in Somers, a high-security prison. Department of Correction officials said federal guidance recommends correctional and detention facility establish medical isolation units where positive inmates are housed in cells with solid walls and solid doors that close fully. Each housing unit at Northern has a separate ventilation system that uses outside air.

One centralized treatment location will help preserve the agency’s inventory of personal protection equipment and maximize the efficiency of medical staff, officials said. Other medical isolation units will be set up at locations where transfers to Northern are not appropriate.

Democratic and Republican legislative leaders announced Wednesday that legislative business, including committee meetings and public hearings, will now be postponed until April 23 instead of April 12. The legislative session is scheduled to adjourn on May 6. Lawmakers passed a two-year state budget last year and had planned to make adjustments to that plan.

MADISON, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut teen accused of a cyber attack known as “Zoom bombing” during a number of online classes was charged Wednesday with computer crimes.

Officials were able to trace a series of similar interruptions to one teenager in Madison.

Zoom bombing, which is when an unwanted guest joins a video call with an intention to disrupt and harass, began to happen when Madison Public Schools turned to the popular video conferencing software to conduct classes amid national concern for the coronavirus.

Teachers reported the unidentified teen would join the online classes and intentionally disrupt them with “obscene language and gestures,” according to Madison Police Capt. Joseph Race.

The teen was arrested and charged on Wednesday.

The teen has been charged with committing fifth-degree computer crime, fifth-degree conspiracy to commit a computer crime and breach of peace, Race said

The reported cyber attacks have forced Madison schools to transition away from Zoom to other platforms like Google Meet to conduct virtual classes as Connecticut schools remain closed.

“We have decided to suspend use of Zoom for whole group instruction until the district can have more assurance that Zoom has addressed security concerns,” Madison Superintendent Tom Scarice wrote in a note to parents Tuesday.

Zoom has referred to trolls as “party crashers,” which some critics have taken as a sign the company is downplaying the attacks.

In a statement issued last week, the company told The Associated Press it takes the security of meetings seriously and encourages users to report any incidents directly to Zoom. The company suggested that people hosting large, public meetings confirm that they are the only ones who can share their screen and use features like mute controls.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration laid out plans Wednesday for segregating nursing home residents who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 to help prevent further spread of the disease, while nursing home workers continued to express concerns about not having the equipment and staffing they need to stay safe on the job.

Members of SEIU 1199 New England, the largest health care union in Connecticut, told stories of workers wearing garbage bags for protection and reusing gear that normally would be tossed after a single use. Of the 69 homes staffed with District 1199 workers, 55 have confirmed cases of COVID-19 and eight have suspected cases.

“We are reusing masks. Some of us have limited access to gloves. We don’t have access to gowns,” said Chelsea Daniels, an LPN at Fresh River Healthcare in East Windsor, a 144-bed skilled nursing facility. “We are at risk and nobody seems to care.”

Josh Geballe, Lamont’s COO, said the supply chain for personal protective equipment has been disrupted but the state expects to see “a significant influx of PPE” in the coming days and weeks “that will alleviate the challenges we’ve been facing over the last couple of weeks.”

Barbara Cass, chief of health care quality and safety at the state Department of Public Health, said her agency has a call each morning with nursing homes and has been responding to reports of shortages. She said they’ve also opened up “messaging systems” to hear directly from front-line workers.

Meanwhile, in an effort to build nursing home capacity, Lamont announced Wednesday evening that “recovery centers” will be opened in Torrington, Bridgeport, Meriden and Sharon. The facilities, which will provide a total of more than 500 beds for COVID-19 patients, will receive $600 per-day per-patient, in addition to the planned 10% increase across the board for all nursing homes.

Since Tuesday, an additional 1,000 Connecticut residents have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 8,781. Approximately 1,418 patients have been hospitalized and there have been COVID-19 associated fatalities is 335.

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.

The chief medical examiner’s office is investigating several deaths at a Milford nursing home and rehabilitation center, after changing the cause of death for one resident to having likely been linked to COVID-19.

The initial cause of death for Jean Auclair at Golden Hill Rehabilitation Pavilion was respiratory failure, with no mention of COVID-19, officials said. More than 40 residents at the 120-bed care center have tested positive for the disease.

Dr. James Gill, the chief medical examiner, said Wednesday his office changed the cause of death to “acute respiratory infection due to probable” coronavirus infection.

It’s not clear how many residents at the facility have died from COVID-19. Gill said Golden Hill staff have certified some deaths as being related to the disease, and the medical examiner’s office is investigating other deaths.

The state Department of Public Health also is investigating several pneumonia deaths, staffing levels and other issues at Golden Hill, state officials said.

Andrew Wildman, executive director at Golden Hill, told Hearst Connecticut Media in an email that complaints about staffing levels and the health of employees were “false rumors” and there is adequate staff to meet residents’ needs. He did not say how many residents and staff have tested positive for COVID-19.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Gov. Ned Lamont said Tuesday there are indications the surge of COVID-19 cases in Connecticut is “flattening out,” but implored residents to remain vigilant and continue to adhere to the state’s strict social distancing measures.

The Democrat warned “this is no time for ‘Happy Days Are Here Again,’” referring to the upbeat song used by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s campaign even though people were still suffering the effects of the Great Depression. Lamont said his administration is working with New York and Pennsylvania officials on a thoughtful and safe way the region can eventually emerge from the coronavirus crisis.

“And that means starting with social distancing,” he said. “‘Hey dude - keep your distance.’ I want to hear that wherever I go.”

As of Tuesday, 1,308 people were hospitalized in Connecticut with COVID-19, an increase of 87 from Monday. Lamont noted how the state has averaged 80-to-90 additional hospitalizations each day for the past five days. While Lamont admitted “five days does not make a trend,” he said “at least we can say we are flattening out.”

There have been 277 virus-related deaths in the state.

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.

Health care workers of all types in Connecticut are continuing to say they don’t have the supplies they need to protect themselves from COVID-19, including highly sought-after N95 face masks. Visiting nurses, medical staff at psychiatric facilities, nursing home employees and others voiced their concerns Tuesday to U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal on a conference call, urging him to help Connecticut secure more personal protective equipment.

Lamont said he’s aware of the shortages and has been talking with senior-level executives at various manufacturers, trying to secure more equipment.

“I know how serious this is. I know the risk people are taking,” he said. “And we’re doing everything we can to keep you safe.”

A special police unit in Hartford will handle a surge in domestic violence calls believed to be linked to social isolation measures imposed to fight the coronavirus pandemic, officials said.

Two officers during the day and two at night will respond only to domestic violence calls and will give victims information on services including safe houses and counseling, Mayor Luke Bronin said. The city is working with Interval House, a nonprofit group.

Bronin said there was a 20% increase in domestic violence calls to police over the past week, but officials worry many cases are not being reported.

“We’ve asked everybody to stay home,” Bronin said Monday. “But the tragic reality is that as we take those measures to keep our community safe, it also means that there are those in our community, in our neighborhood and loved ones who may be at greater risk and who suffer in this time of isolation.”

COVID-19 cases in nursing homes around the state have more than doubled since Friday.

The state is reporting that 477 nursing home residents have tested positive for the virus as of Monday, including 142 who were hospitalized and 65 who have died. More than 70 of the 215 nursing homes in the state have had at lease one confirmed case of COVID-19.

On Friday, officials said 221 residents had tested positive, including 80 who were hospitalized and 23 who had died. There were 48 nursing homes reporting at least one case of COVID-19. The administration plans to offer financial incentives for nursing homes that agree to house only COVID-19 positive residents.

At one facility in Milford, nearly half the residents have tested positive for the disease. As of Friday, Golden Hill Rehab Pavilion had 44 positive cases. At least one family said it learned a relative contracted the disease only after he died, Hearst Connecticut Media reported.

Governor Lamont’s COO Josh Geballe said the administration is looking into the situation while the center’s executive director, Andrew Wildman, said in a statement to News12 Connecticut that Golden Hill is notifying families “timely and as appropriate.”

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont says the peak of the coronavirus outbreak is still a few weeks away for Fairfield County, more than a month away for New Haven County and maybe won't hit the eastern part of the state until mid-June. The governor said that will give the state more time to prepare for the anticipated surge in cases, also noting how hospitalizations and deaths related to COVID-19 are showing signs of being "linear" and "not going up exponentially." Lamont said that will give the state "capacity to plan." As of Monday, there have been 206 deaths associated with COVID-19.

More than 100 inmates have been transferred after coronavirus-related unrest at the Carl Robinson Correctional Institution, state corrections officials said.

Some inmates were removed from housing units on Friday night after they threatened to organize hunger strikes and work stoppages to protest the facility’s rules aimed at avoid the spread of the new coronavirus, officials said.

The prison is limiting inmates’ movements and requiring meals to be served within housing units.

On Saturday, a correctional officer was punched in the face while interceding in a fight between three inmates. The officer was taken to a hospital for treatment.

According to the Connecticut Department of Corrections, 19 inmates were transferred to Northern Correctional Institution in Somers, pending hearings for administrative segregation placement.

Another 86 inmates were moved to other prisons around the state as a safety precaution, a department spokeswoman said in an email.

The Carl Robinson Correctional Institution in Enfield houses approximately 1,200 medium security inmates.

“The department is working around the clock to keep people safe and healthy during an unprecedented heath pandemic,” spokeswoman Karen Martucci said. “The department has zero tolerance for acts of violence against DOC personnel, or orchestrated efforts to disrupt operations.”

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The president of submarine builder Electric Boat, which has major production plants in Connecticut and Rhode Island, told employees on Saturday that he has tested positive for the new coronavirus.

Kevin Graney said in a statement that he got his test result Friday night, after developing a low-grade fever overnight Wednesday into Thursday. His office is at the Groton, Connecticut, headquarters, where he last worked Wednesday.

“My symptoms remain mild — some nasal congestion and a low grade fever,” the statement said. “I will be out of the plant until I am cleared by medical to return.”

Electric Boat, a division of General Dynamics, produces nuclear submarines for the Navy, with key manufacturing operations in Groton and Quonset Point, Rhode Island. It employs around 17,000 people. Graney said his office and surrounding areas are being cleaned and people he had close contact with have been notified.

Graney said Friday that six workers at Electric Boat had tested positive for COVID-19. They include employees in Groton, Quonset Point and a facility in Charleston, South Carolina.

NORWALK, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut couple who had been married for more than 40 years died only days apart from complications due to COVID-19, relatives said.

Gilbert Baker, 73, of Norwalk, died Monday in the intensive care unit at Norwalk Hospital. Two days later, his wife, Barbara Baker, 75, died at the same hospital, The Hour newspaper reported.

“It was the roughest thing in the world,” said their son, Ja-Asia Baker. “To not be able to visit them, to not be able to see them in person one last time, it was terrible.”

Ja-Asia Baker and his sister last saw their parents on a computer screen via a video chat Sunday arranged by hospital staff. Their parents were sedated and on ventilators as their children told them they loved them.

Statewide some 5,675 people have tested positive for coronavirus.  Governor Ned Lamont says to date, more than 23,270 tests have been conducted in Connecticut among both state and private laboratories.  More than 1,100 COVID-19 patients have been hospitalized in Connecticut. The total statewide total number of COVID-19 associated fatalities is 189. 

Lamont's latest executive order provides financial protections for the uninsured and people covered by insurance who receive out-of-network health care services during the public health emergency.  Those who are uninsured and those who are insured and are treated by an out-of-network emergency services health care provider would be protected from surprise bills and other significant costs. This will ensure that individuals receiving care are not being financially burdened.

FEMA has approved Lamont's request to add housing for survivors of domestic violence in the reimbursement guidelines it previously approved for Connecticut, which authorized the state and municipalities to receive a 75 percent reimbursement for the costs associated with providing non-congregate housing first responders and health care workers who temporarily need a place to live separate from family or roommates, and also for those who are homeless.

The days of operation will be further reduced in all Judicial Branch courthouses that remain open.  All courthouses will be closed on tomorrow and then beginning on April 14th, all courthouses will be closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays until further notice. The overarching goal remains to protect employees and members of the public by keeping as few courthouses open, for the shortest period of time possible, as may be necessary to hear the critical "priority one" cases.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Gov. Ned Lamont on Friday publicly announced financial incentives for Connecticut nursing homes that agree to house only COVID-19 positive residents, a move aimed at preventing the system from being overwhelmed by the outbreak.

The details of the additional funds — $600 per-day for each person served, which is more than double the average daily Medicaid payment rate — come after the initial plan and a list of proposed facilities released earlier this week drew sharp criticism from a nursing home executive and family members who said it took some by surprise, creating an “uproar.”

“The discussions with the operators are going on around the clock right now, and we’re looking forward to seeing forward progress on that in the very near future,” said Josh Geballe, Lamont’s chief operating officer, who urged the industry to “step up” and agree to participate.

Besides the extra funds for the planned COVID-19 homes, the Democratic governor announced that all 213 nursing homes in Connecticut would be receiving a 10% increase in Medicaid funding, from April 1 through June 30, to cover expenses related to the outbreak. The three-month increase is expected to cost $35.5 million.

The administration also wants to reopen some closed facilities to increase the amount of available beds as well. The state is offering to help with start-up costs and to make the same $600-per-day payments for each COVID-19-positive nursing home resident served.

In a letter sent Thursday to residents’ families and staff at Manchester Manor and Vernon Manor and Arbors of Hop Brook in Manchester, CEO Paul Liistro criticized Lamont for releasing details of the proposal being worked out with the industry before the facilities could properly notify residents, family members and staff.

“The community uproar is deafening. Before the logic and the plans for transition could occur, the confidentiality was breached and, now, execution is impossible,” Liistro wrote in the letter Thursday.

Patricia Hastings, whose 91-year-old mother lives at Vernon Manor, said Liistro’s letter raised several red flags for her. No one has tested positive at Vernon Manor, and it was not on the list first released by Lamont.

“Why would you even want to disturb these people who are basically safe as this moment that we know of and create potential for a cross contamination?” she asked. “Now you’re going to move people who are elderly — some have Alzheimer’s, some have dementia — and you’re going to uproot them from the home they have? I don’t think they should be doing that to senior citizens. It’s disorienting.”

An additional 267 Connecticut residents have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 3,824.  Governor Ned Lamont says 827 patients have been hospitalized. The total statewide total number of fatalities is 112.  To date, more than 18,300 tests have been conducted in Connecticut among both state and private laboratories. 

A new executive order has been signed by the Governor allowing, under certain conditions, food establishments and liquor manufacturers to deliver liquor, and allows additional manufacturers to sell liquor for pick-up and delivery. This will provide additional opportunities for these businesses to safely deliver their products directly to customers and reduce travel outside the home. 

Another executive order has been signed by Lamont.  This one suspends the requirement that victims of domestic abuse sign an application for an order of protection under oath before a notary or attorney. Instead, the order enables them to sign an application outside the presence of a third party under the penalty of false statement. Lamont thanked the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Judicial Branch for their input and coordination on this important matter.

Governor Lamont has signed another executive order--this one prohibits all hotels, motels, inns, bed and breakfasts, and short-term residential rentals, including Airbnb, from renting to customers for leisure or vacation purposes. Instead, lodging at these facilities must be limited to health care workers, first responders, and other essential workers; the homeless, workers transporting critical materials to hospitals, residents who need a place to self-quarantine away from family or roommates and those receiving long-term care or specialized medical treatment. 

The order also extends to Connecticut residents in need of housing as a result of property damage, such as a fire and people unable to return home because of constraints on travel.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut officials are struggling to handle an overwhelming number of unemployment claims stemming from the coronavirus outbreak that has grown to more than 220,000 in roughly two weeks, Gov. Ned Lamont said Thursday.

The Democrat said his administration has been “throwing more and more people” at the huge task of processing claims, including hiring back retired state employees, to try and reduce a backlog, while at the same time trying to upgrade the state Department of Labor’s aging computer system to speed up process.

“This is going on around the country and it’s going on right here. And right now it’s a backlog of five or six weeks and it’s absolutely unacceptable,” Lamont said. “Give us a four or five days. We’re working on an end-around, working out with a fix that would allow us to have an expedited process.”

State Department of Labor officials said earlier Thursday that the agency has received over 200,000 unemployment claims in just over two weeks, a number it usually receives during a full year. The department has processed more than 80,000 of the new applications.

As of Wednesday, more than 100 Connecticut resident have died from COVID-19. 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.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut’s lottery games pumped $667.5 million into the state’s general fund over the two fiscal years that ended on June 30, 2017, according state auditors.

The audit, released Thursday, showed the weekly transfers from the quasi-public Connecticut Lottery Corporation totaled $337.5 million in the year ending June 30, 2016, and $330 million the following year.

The profits represented just over 27% of annual lottery sales in each of those years, according to the auditors.

The report also includes a recounting of several issues involving lottery officials, including an allegation by former lottery security director Alfred Dupuis that he was retaliated against for being a whistleblower.

Dupuis has said he brought to light problems, including the disclosure in 2015 that retailers could illegally access winning numbers of the 5 Card Cash game on computer screens and manipulate the tickets.

A subsequent criminal investigation resulted in the arrests of 15 people.

The auditors found that allegations of “gross neglect” against Dupuis, which resulted in a paid administrative leave, “could have resulted from arbitrary or retaliatory motives.”

But they also said the state’s Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, which has an ongoing investigation, is the appropriate venue to resolve Dupuis’ allegations.

The Lottery Corp. has denied that Dupuis was retaliated against.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut is on track to end the current fiscal year with a $170 million deficit, a figure that likely will grow over the coming weeks and months, the state’s comptroller said Wednesday.

Kevin Lembo’s report to Gov. Ned Lamont marked his first budget and economic outlook since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

“The speed and scale of the pandemic’s economic disruptions are unprecedented for Connecticut,” Lembo said. “As a result, the full extent of the impact is not yet clear and may take weeks, if not months, to determine. The current year deficit could, and likely will, grow larger.”

Lembo said his office already is seeing a drop-off in withholding receipts from the large number of layoffs and furloughs due to the closure of non-essential businesses. He said his office is reducing its sales tax estimate by $30 million due to the business closures and shelter-at-home directives.

The fiscal year ends June 30. He noted the state’s $2.5 billion budget reserve account is expected to grow to approximately $2.65 million, which makes Connecticut “better positioned to meet the challenge” of the pandemic.

ROCKY HILL, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut state trooper investigating a highway accident was injured when another car crashed into his cruiser Tuesday night, state police said.

Trooper Alvin Chen, 33, was sitting in his cruiser parked in the left lane of Interstate 91 southbound in Rocky Hill when it was rear-ended at about 8:30 p.m. by a car driven by Julio Delgado, 21, of Hartford, state police said. At the time, the cruiser’s emergency lights were on and flares were activated to warn other drivers about the first accident, police said.

Both Chen and Delgado were taken to Hartford Hospital. Chen had injuries to his head, neck and right knee, while Delgado injured his neck.

Delgado was issued an infraction ticket charging him with unsafe lane change and failure to move over for a stopped emergency vehicle.

Contact information for Delgado could not be found. It wasn’t clear if he has a lawyer who could respond to the allegations.