Summer Takes Shape, But Uncertainty About Post-Pandemic Life Looms

Connecticut’s cautious approach to reopening gives us a chance to see how things are going elsewhere and what a post-pandemic life may look like. 

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Sports are starting to resume overseas with Germany’s professional soccer league, the Bundesliga set to resume its season later this month without fans. There’s more below on baseball in South Korea too.

Meanwhile, some parents may get a break soon, with summer camps in Connecticut being allowed to start at the end of June. Of course, new protocols will be in place at camps.

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

By The Numbers

All numbers are as of May 5 at 7:30 p.m.

• 2,633 COVID-19-associated deaths
• 30,621 confirmed cases
  • Fairfield County: 12,360
  • New Haven County: 8,337
  • Hartford County: 6,351
  • Litchfield County: 1,065
  • Middlesex County: 734
  • New London County: 681
  • Tolland County: 502
  • Windham County: 223
  • Pending address validation: 368
• More than 108,643 people tested

The Latest

• After 12 straight days of declining hospitalizations from COVID-19, Connecticut saw an uptick in numbers released Tuesday. Gov. Ned Lamont has said a 14-day decline would be key to reopening the state’s economy on May 20. However, Josh Geballe, the governor’s chief operating officer said the clock won’t be reset because of this jump. He said the hospitalization metric will be a “rolling average.”
• Public K-12 schools will keep their buildings closed through the academic year, but online learning will continue. The decision announced by Lamont yesterday also led to a cancellation of spring high school sports. No decision has been made on summer school, however summer camps will be able to open starting June 29.
• The state has plans to increase the number of electric vehicles on the road from about 12,000 now to at least 125,000 by 2025. That was an ambitious goal, but the road is even bumpier with the pandemic. The average price of a gallon of regular gas in Connecticut is just $1.88 and unemployment is at record high, so consumers may be less likely to invest in electric vehicles.

Other Reads On The Coronavirus

• Violent arrest in New York raises questions about police enforcement of social distancing orders - Kim Bellware for The Washington Post
• They Survived the Holocaust. Now They’re Confronting the Virus - John Leland for The New York Times
• The Joy and Anxiety of Watching KBO’s Return - Michael Baumann for The Ringer

Live Baseball? Live Baseball

International baseball is finally getting its due in the United States, mainly because it’s all we got. ESPN is broadcasting six games a week from the Korea Baseball Organization (this is the KBO mentioned in the link above). If you want to watch live, you’ll need to adjust your sleep schedule because the games are broadcast overnight here.

If you know absolutely nothing about the KBO, Axios has a short primer on what you need to know, including comparisons of what MLB team each KBO team resembles. 

Jeff Tracy, the author of the primer, has these comparisons:

• New York Yankees ? Doosan Bears because they’re a successful franchise that’s located in the largest city
• Boston Red Sox ? SK Wyverns are perennial contenders but lost their biggest star in the offseason
• New York Mets ? LG Twins because both are the second most popular team in a big city

Stay safe. Stay sane. Stay distant.