HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford is planning to reopen its parishes to the public for weekday Masses only beginning June 8, with rules for wearing masks and social distancing to guard against the coronavirus, church officials announced Wednesday.
The archdiocese released its guidelines for reopening its more than 120 parishes in Hartford, New Haven and Litchfield counties. Church officials said a date for resuming Sunday services has not been determined. Churches will continue to live stream and post videos of Sunday services.
Parishioners will be required to wear masks, with exceptions for young children and those with a legitimate health reason. People also must stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) apart, and services will be limited to 50 people according to Gov. Ned Lamont’s orders. There also will be no passing of offering baskets.
Older adults, those with medical conditions and those caring for sick or housebound people are urged not to attend the weekday services.
“Coordinated and thoughtful planning is imperative for a church to reopen; otherwise it should not do so,” the new guidelines say. “A pastor must be able to ensure that the parish is prepared to meet the pandemic requirements for public worship.”
Lamont said Tuesday he plans to reevaluate his order concerning houses of worship in the next week or so.
As of Wednesday, there have been 3,803 COVID-19-associated deaths in Connecticut, an increase of 34 since Tuesday. More than 41,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and 684 people remain hospitalized, a decrease of 10 since Tuesday.
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.
In other coronavirus news in Connecticut:
___
UNEMPLOYMENT HELP
The Connecticut Department of Labor has received the go-ahead from Lamont’s office to launch a “contact center,” which will provide filers with additional assistance online and over the telephone.
Dante Bartolomeo, a deputy commissioner at the state agency, said the new system will have a “chat box” feature that will allow people to type or speak questions and receive instant answers. Also, filers will have the ability to chat online or call a live agent, including 60 new employees, for more involved questions. The department is currently in negotiations with a private vendor that will provide the technology, build the new system and get it up and running around the middle of July, she said.
Bartolomeo said she expects the new contact center will remain in place until at least the end of the year, given the various assistance programs for workers impacted by the pandemic.
____
PRISONER DIES
The Department of Correction announced Wednesday that a seventh inmate has died from complications related to COVID-19. The unidentified 60-year-old man had been transferred from Osborn Correctional Institution in Somers to UCONN Health Center for treatment on April 30. He died Tuesday.
The man was serving a 43-year sentence for murder. Officials with DOC said he had been taken to the hospital several times since his incarceration began in 1991.
A woman on Wednesday confronted Lamont during an outdoor event in New Haven about the latest death, accusing the governor of not having a plan for keeping inmates safe and being indifferent to their fates. Advocates for inmates have urged the governor to release more prisoners.
Lamont disagreed, saying, “We have to keep these people safe and that’s what we’re doing.”
Of the 792 offenders who have tested positive, DOC said 514 have already recovered from the virus.
____
COURTHOUSES REOPENING
Connecticut judicial officials are planning to reopen courthouses in Middletown, Rockville and Torrington that were closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Judge Patrick Carroll III, the chief court administrator, said Wednesday that the three courthouses will partially resume operations on June 8.
Ten other courts, including the state Supreme Court, have remained open throughout the pandemic for limited purposes, including arraignments for people detained on bail, arraignments for people charged with domestic violence and emergency child custody proceedings.
Courts currently are open on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.