While other states are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of coronavirus cases across the U.S., Gov. Ned Lamont encouraged Connecticut residents to come out to the beaches this July Fourth weekend.

Gov. Lamont made the announcement during a press conference at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison this morning.

The governor touted the latest coronavius numbers in the state, which currently sit at less than 1% of new cases for a week straight.

Lamont says 11,000 people were tested for the virus on Wednesday, and 80,000 were tested this week so far.

Lt. Gov. Suzanne Byowitz urged residents to continue wearing protective face masks despite numbers of infection rates and hospitalizations being down across the state.

 

The governor joked that he was looking for Arizona and Florida license plates on vehicles as he entered the parking lot of Hammonasset Beach on Thursday, citing that those state have much higher infection rates than Connecticut.

Earlier last week, Lamont was joined by the governors of neighboring states New York and New Jersey to announce new travel advisories and two-week self quarantines for those traveling from 16 states with high infection rates.

Unlike city officials in Houston, Texas, who are urging the public to spend July fourth weekend inside, Lamont encouraged Connecticut residents to come out to the beaches and be safe this holiday weekend.