Update: April 25 5:30 p.m. – State Response to Coronavirus

Friends and Neighbors,

Governor Lamont this evening announced the state is partnering with CBIA and CONNSTEP to distribute free face coverings to eligible, essential small businesses with fewer than 50 employees. In light of the social distancing guidelines the governor is asking residents to avoid visiting drug drop boxes for national Drug Takeback Day, and to instead take steps to secure, and clean out their medicine cabinets at home.

More information and 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-25

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Governor Lamont partners with CBIA and CONNSTEP to distribute free face coverings for small businesses

Governor Lamont today announced that his administration is partnering with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) and its affiliate CONNSTEP on an initiative to distribute free face coverings to eligible, essential small businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Eligible businesses include those defined as essential businesses by the Department of Economic and Community Development.

Eligible essential small businesses can request up to two free face coverings per employee by filling out the form found here.

Small businesses are strongly urged to create their own face coverings following CDC guidelines. This will ensure the limited supply of coverings go to small businesses that are struggling to secure their own supply.

Requested face coverings will be distributed next week through the municipality in which the business is located. The local municipality will then contact businesses with a date, time, and location to receive the requested masks. The distribution will continue while supplies last. The initiative is intended to help small businesses comply with the governor’s executive order requiring dace coverings to be worn whenever social distancing is not possible, including in essential businesses.

Residents encouraged to safely dispose of unwanted medication at home as an alternative to National Drug Takeback Day events

If not for COVID-19, thousands of Connecticut residents would be visiting one of the nearly 100 drug drop boxes at police stations across the state today to mark National Drug Takeback Day. This year, in light of the pandemic, residents are asked to avoid visiting the drug drop boxes, and take steps to secure, and clean out their medicine cabinets at home.

Here’s what residents can do:

• Dispose of any unneeded medication at home by running it under hot water, combining it with something undesirable like used coffee grounds or kitty litter, securing it in a container, and disposing of it in the trash. Do not flush medication down the toilet.
• Secure any of your expired or unneeded medication in a safe place so that it’s ready to go as soon as you’re able to visit a drug drop box again.

Last year, 59,058 pounds of unneeded medication were disposed of in drug drop boxes, an increase of more than 15,000 pounds from 2018.

For more information, read the press release issued today by the Department of Consumer Protection.

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As of 4:00 p.m. tonight – Saturday, April 25^th – the state has diagnosed a total of 24582 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 1862.

Latest COVID-19 Testing Data in Connecticut

Updated 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, 2020

Total patients who tested positive: 24582

Fairfield County: 10373

Hartford County: 4761

Litchfield County: 834

Middlesex County: 576

New Haven County: 6509

New London County: 473

Tolland County: 384

Windham County: 151

Pending address validation: 521