• Gov. Ned Lamont said Tuesday that social distancing may be helping to “flatten” the rate of coronavirus cases in Connecticut, even as deaths from COVID-19 reached 277. But he tempered his optimism by urging residents not to let up, saying social distancing is the key to keeping the rate of infection from overwhelming the state’s hospitals. “It gives our hospitals more capacity. It gives them more time to plan,” Lamont said.
• Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly resigned Tuesday amid calls from numerous lawmakers, including Rep. Joe Courtney and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, that he leave after he fired and then disparaged a Navy captain who sought help with a coronavirus outbreak on an aircraft carrier. 
• The federal government was praised for rolling out relief for small businesses through its Paycheck Protection Program, but many Connecticut companies say the application process has been far from straightforward.
• A new report says policymakers must put service industry workers -- who are on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis -- at the forefront of plans to rebuild the economy post-pandemic. “This is a workforce who we tend not to think about. And this is a workforce who we depend on,” said Sara Chaganti, senior policy analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. 

Passover 2020: Finding A Way To (Virtually) Gather In This Era Of Social Distancing

The coronavirus crisis has forced people to come up with creative ways to stay connected while staying physically apart -- and that includes how people worship.

Sundown marks the start of the Jewish holiday of Passover, a time when families gather for a Seder meal (pictured above) and recount the Jews’ deliverance from slavery to freedom. But this year, social distancing will mean that most homes won’t be open for welcoming family and friends in person.

Connecticut Public Radio’s Diane Orson spoke with Rabbi Brian Immerman of Congregation Mishkan Israel about the digital ways people can celebrate Passover and the challenges posed by social distancing in these uncertain times.

“Passover is about liberating both the ancient Israelites but also ourselves,” Immerman said. “And that rings so true this year as we are feeling isolated, bound to being at home and bound to being separated from others.” MORE »

• Gov. Ned Lamont wants mail-in voting to be an option for Connecticut’s June 2 presidential primary in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, The Connecticut Mirror reports.
• After a bumpy start, the federal Paycheck Protection Program has approved loan applications for more than 1,200 small businesses in Connecticut to help them stay afloat during the coronavirus crisis, according to the Hartford Business Journal.
• The owners of a New Haven bar have sued Gov. Ned Lamont and New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker, challenging the constitutionality of coronavirus-related orders that restrict business activity, the New Haven Independent reports.