What has been an annual summertime bargain — the city’s $25 summer fun program — will be free this summer, due to coronavirus restrictions, and that’s a plus. But the big negative: Only 3,600 slots will be available, roughly a third of the usual 10,000, due to social distancing and other health considerations. If the city gets more summer leaders, it can see about increasing slots.

Another big change: No more long lines at sites like Manoa’s park to snag coveted program slots. Instead, go now to the city Parks and Recreation’s new online system at pros.hnl.info, for program registration that starts 6 p.m. June 18. For more, see www.honolulu.gov/parks.

Connecting families, nursing homes

The state Health Department is distributing $30,000 in federal dollars to make possible more virtual visits between residents at skilled nursing facilities and their family members and friends. In-person social visits have been banned since mid-March due to COVID-19 physical distancing directives.

The grant money is earmarked for purchase of communication tech gear such as tablets or other devices that can be used for video chats. Twenty-three nursing facilities statewide will receive a share of the funding by the end of the month; more grants will be awarded after the start of the new fiscal year on July 1.