A Baby Dies, Unemployment Record Broken Again. The Latest On The Coronavirus in Connecticut

Over the last two weeks, 10 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits. Last week’s report of 3.3 million new claims was astronomically high. This week’s numbers doubled that.

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In case you missed it, the CT Mirror’s Ana Radelat answered questions about the coronavirus stimulus check many Americans will be receiving … and it can’t come soon enough for many people.

Harvard economist Kenneth S. Rogoff warns that the long-term economic conditions could be worse than anything most people have experienced. “I feel like the 2008 financial crisis was just a dry run for this,” he told The New York Times.

While the economic numbers are devastating, so too is the spread of the virus in Connecticut, especially after news that a baby died and later tested positive for COVID-19.

Here’s the latest on the coronavirus in Connecticut...

Topline

• A 6-week-old baby was found unresponsive and died at a Hartford-area hospital. The child later tested positive for the coronavirus. This is presumed to be the youngest fatality from COVID-19 in the country so far.
• Statewide, at least 85 people have died of COVID-19. 
• The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will enforce bans on gatherings of more than five people in state parks. They will also penalize people who enter parks after reaching capacity. Those penalties could be fines or even arrest.

By The Numbers

All numbers are as of April 1 at 8 p.m.

• 85 deaths from COVID-19
• 3,557 confirmed cases
  • Fairfield County: 1,986
  • New Haven County: 611
  • Hartford County: 469
  • Litchfield County: 131
  • Middlesex County: 66
  • Tolland County: 61
  • New London County: 29
  • Windham County: 19
  • Pending address validation: 185
• More than 16,600 people tested

The Latest

• A 6 week old baby girl may be the youngest person to die of COVID-19. Gov. Ned Lamont’s office said the infant arrived at a Hartford area hospital unresponsive before dying. The infant later tested positive for the virus. Lamont said it’s “a reminder that nobody is safe with this virus.” She was one of the additional 16 fatalities reported Wednesday.
• State officials released news of possible nursing homes that would be dedicated to housing people who test positive for the coronavirus. The list of facilities may have been released too early though, with several nursing homes saying they were no longer under consideration. The debate over how to handle this population of people continues. Statewide, 36 nursing homes have had at least one case of COVID-19 among residents.
• Farmers are essential workers and continue to grow their crops, but will their customers come back? “Fifty percent of Fort Hill Farm’s income is from farmers markets. Forty percent comes from customers buying shares in their Community Supported Agriculture plan, or CSA. Paul Bucciaglia has no idea how the CSA may run this year -- what adaptations they’ll have to make for social distancing or whether customers will feel safe returning.” 

Other Reads On The Coronavirus

• A Ventilator Stockpile, With One Hitch: Thousands Do Not Work - David E. Sanger, Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Nicholas Kulish for The New York Times
• The Coronavirus Lockdown Is a Threat for Many Animals, Not a Blessing - Matt Simon for Wired
• Here's How To Pick A College During Coronavirus - Elissa Nadworny and Shereen Marisol Meraji for NPR

Goodbye Ellis, Goodnight Dolly

Ellis Marsalis, jazz legend and patriarch of the Marsalis family, died at the age of 85 from complications related to COVID-19. Jazz at Lincoln Center put together this remembrance of the icon.

Dolly Parton is ready to take some of the load off of parents tonight. Every week, she’ll read bedtime stories that will be livestreamed on YouTube. The first book she’s reading is The Little Engine That Could.

Which celebrity (or public radio personality) would you most like to hear read you a bedtime story? For me, it’s obviously Wade Goodwyn. Let me know at tives@ctpublic.org or on Twitter.

Stay safe. Stay sane. Stay distant.