April 19, 2020

Update: April 19 7:00 p.m. – State Response to Coronavirus

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Friends and Neighbors,

Governor Lamont this evening announced an additional $65 million in Medicaid payments for state nursing homes, and the Department of Public Health will visit each of the nursing homes within the next two weeks to conduct infection control surveys.

The governor also announced that he was partnering with several neighboring states and that marinas, boatyards and marine manufacturers will be allowed to open for personal use as long as strict social distancing and sanitization protocols are followed.

The governor’s full press release can be read here: https://portal.ct.gov/Office-of-the-Governor/News/Press-Releases/2020/04-2020/Governor-Lamont-Coronavirus-Update-April-19

Governor Lamont expands financial assistance for Connecticut’s nursing homes

Governor Lamont today announced that he is directing his administration to boost Medicaid payments for all of Connecticut’s 215 nursing homes by 15 percent, providing an additional $65 million to these facilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Connecticut’s nursing home operators and their employees provide an incredible service to the people of our state, including for the 22,000 residents that receive direct care in nursing homes on a daily basis,” Governor Lamont said. “I want to extend my profound gratitude to them, particularly during this unprecedented global pandemic that is having a particularly adverse impact on the elderly and individuals with disabilities residing in long-term care settings.”

The state’s increased financial support will be applied toward:

Employee wages, including staff retention bonuses, overtime, and shift incentive payments;
New costs related to screening of visitors;
Personal protective equipment;
Cleaning and housekeeping supplies; and
Other costs related to COVID-19.

The expanded state aid is in addition to the enhanced federal support nursing homes are expected to receive through Medicare, as well as general relief under the recently adopted Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

For more information, read the press release issued today by Governor Lamont.

State begins site visits to every nursing home in Connecticut to extend additional support

To provide additional support to the state’s nursing homes and long-term care facilities, the Connecticut Department of Public Health has announced that its staff will be making physical, on-site visits to all of Connecticut’s 215 nursing homes and long-term care facilities over the next seven to ten days. The department’s Healthcare Quality and Safety Branch, with guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will conduct infection control surveys during each visit. This will be a first among states in the region, as all nurses in the Facility Licensing and Investigations Section have been fit-tested for N95 respirators, which is a federal requirement.

To view the form that will be used during these site visits, click here.

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Governor Lamont, Governor Cuomo, and Governor Murphy Announce Alignment of State Policies for Marinas and Boatyards

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, and Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey today announced that marinas, boatyards and marine manufacturers in their states will be allowed to open for personal use as long as strict social distancing and sanitization protocols are followed. Chartered watercraft services or rentals will not be allowed, and restaurant activity at these sites must be limited to take-out or delivery only, like anywhere else in the three states. This announcement aligns the policies of the three states on this particular service.

Governor Lamont explained that in Connecticut, this multi-state alignment is an affirmation of the state’s current policy, and marinas and marina repair remain on the essential business list.

More information can be found here: https://portal.ct.gov/Office-of-the-Governor/News/Press-Releases/2020/04-2020/Governor-Lamont-Governor-Cuomo-and-Governor-Murphy-Announce-Alignment-for-Marinas-and-Boatyards

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Governor Lamont, Governor Cuomo, Governor Baker, Governor Raimondo, Governor Murphy, Governor Wolf, and Governor Carney Announce Appointees to Multi-State Council to Get People Back to Work and Restore the Economy

Appointees Include One Health Expert, One Economic Development Expert, and Respective Chiefs of Staff from Each State

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, Governor Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island, Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey, Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania, and Governor John Carney of Delaware today announced their appointees that will serve on the multi-state, regional council to restore the economy and get people back to work. The appointees include one health expert, one economic development expert, and the respective chief of staff from each state.

Governor Lamont stressed that in Connecticut, this multi-state council is a separate entity from the Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group, which is the localized, Connecticut-based panel of health, business, and education experts that will consult with the Lamont administration and the state’s legislative leaders on the re-opening of the economy. Members who will serve on the Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group are in the process of being appointed and will be announced in the coming days.

The appointees from each state serving on the regional, multi-state council include:

Connecticut

Dr. Albert Ko: Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine and department chair at the Yale School of Public Health
Indra Nooyi: Co-chair of the nonprofit organization AdvanceCT and former chairman and CEO of PepsiCo
Paul Mounds, Jr.: Chief of Staff for the Office of Governor Ned Lamont

More information can be found here: https://portal.ct.gov/Office-of-the-Governor/News/Press-Releases/2020/04-2020/Governor-Lamont-Announces-Appointees-to-Multi-State-Council

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As of 5:00 p.m. tonight – Sunday, April 19th – the state has diagnosed a total of 17962 cases of Coronavirus. Updated virus totals and Town-by-Town statistics can be accessed here: https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus

The total statewide number of COVID-19 associated fatalities is 1127.

Latest COVID-19 Testing Data in Connecticut

Updated 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, 2020

Total patients who tested positive: 17962

Fairfield County: 7434

Hartford County: 3351

Litchfield County: 600

Middlesex County: 462

New Haven County: 4871

New London County: 339

Tolland County: 276

Windham County: 100

Pending address validation: 529