'There's No Ozarks Here In Connecticut:' Lamont

CONNECTICUT — Gov. Ned Lamont said he was pleased with the progress so far in Phase One of the State's reopening following lockdown due to the coronavirus, and is looking ahead to the next wave of restriction-lifting.

"I think we have been pretty good... maybe slipping a little bit" regarding wearing masks, Lamont said, but pointed to other data that indicated the state was ahead of most others in the country in adhering to social distancing guidelines.

"There's no Ozarks here in Connecticut," Lamont said, referring to a video showing partiers crowded together in a pool in Missouri that went viral this Memorial Day weekend.

The governor said the current virus-related death toll stands at 3,769, up 27 from Monday. The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 has dropped, however, by 12, to 694. There are 41,303 residents who have tested positive for the virus.

"We are doing a much better job of testing in underserved communities," Lamont said. There have been over 850 onsite inspections of nursing homes, the governor said, and numbers there "are trending in a more positive direction."

The governor said he was "in good conversations" with religious leaders, and will come out with new protocols and recommendations "soon" regarding how churches and houses should expand their services to accommodate more of their congregations. Churches were never officially shuttered in Connecticut, Lamont noted, but the state recommended services be capped at 5o of the faithful.

Casinos "are a concern," Lamont said. "We want to make sure that when our casinos open they do it in a very thoughtful" way. The governor said he has been in discussion with tribal nations, who have declared they will be reopening casinos on their land on June 1, recommending a phased opening of the gaming halls.

"I think June 1 is too early,"Lamont said, "but we are taking to a sovereign nation."

Lamont urged residents to have any elective surgery they have may put off due to coronavirus concerns, and recommended they see their regular doctor as well, now that Phase One of the state's reopening is underway.

Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo joined Lamont in the news conference, and said that his government had its "eye on the ball and pedal to the metal" during the reopening. Camillo said he saw a spike in rentals and buying of Greenwich properties by New Yorkers, which he was "keeping an eye on."

The federal government has earmarked $1.4 billion in coronavirus-related aid for Connecticut, and Lamont said. He has asked each municipality to provide his office with an itemization of all COVID-related expenses, and plans to have budget done in the "next week or so," assigning the funds. The State Department of Education will be providing local education boards with recommendations on how to move forward with the school year in a similar timeframe.