Update: June 1 7:30 p.m. – State Response to Coronavirus

Friends and Neighbors,

In press releases and during his daily press briefing, Governor Lamont announced Executive Order No 7UU which mandates Covid testing for employees of nursing homes and residential communities, and allows DOL to consider the pandemic when determining a worker’s eligibility for unemployment benefits.

To watch a video of his press conference, please click here:

More information and the governor’s full press release can be read here: https://portal.ct.gov/Office-of-the-Governor/News/Press-Releases/2020/06-2020/Governor-Lamont-Coronavirus-Update-June-1

Executive Order No. 7UU enacts the following provisions:

• Mandatory COVID-19 testing for staff of private and municipal nursing homes, residential communities and assisted living agencies: Requires all staff of these facilities to be tested for COVID-19 weekly for the duration of the public health and civil preparedness emergency.
• Determination of suitable work: Allows the Connecticut Department of Labor to consider, when determining a worker’s eligibility for unemployment benefits, whether COVID-19 means returning to work would pose an unreasonable risk to the health of a member of that worker’s household.

**Download: Governor Lamont’s Executive Order No. 7UU

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Deadlines approaching for residents who lost health insurance due to job loss to qualify for coverage through Access Health CT

Connecticut residents who may have lost their jobs from a furlough or layoff within the last two months must act quickly if they would like to enroll in health care coverage through Access Health CT, the state’s health insurance marketplace.

In general, people who lost health insurance due to a job loss have 60 days to apply for coverage through Access Health CT, as that job loss is considered a “Qualifying Life Event.” This means that the deadline to enroll for anyone who lost their jobs in April is approaching fast.

To help residents maintain qualify and affordable health care coverage, Access Health CT recommends comparing options on AccessHealthCT.com to COBRA coverage, as the marketplace may offer a better, less expensive choice, and is the only place where people can qualify for financial help to lower their costs.

Access Health CT is working closely with the Connecticut Department of Labor and other entities to reach out to businesses that are in the process of reducing their workforce.

For more information, read the press release issued today by Access Health CT.

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Online purchasing of food with SNAP benefits begins June 2 and 3

The Department of Social Services today announced that recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will be able to purchase food online from participating retailers in Connecticut beginning Tuesday, June 2 and Wednesday, June 3. SNAP enrollees will be able to use their electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card to purchase eligible food items online for delivery or curbside pickup.

Retailers approved for the initial launch of online SNAP purchasing are Amazon (including Amazon Pantry and Amazon Fresh), 12 Walmart stores (click here for a list), and 22 ShopRite stores (click here for a list).

Online SNAP purchasing will begin on June 2 at Walmart in Cromwell and Manchester beginning at 3:00 a.m., ShopRite in Canton and Waterbury beginning at 5:30 a.m., and Amazon beginning at 2:00 p.m. All other participating stores will launch online SNAP purchasing on June 3.

Online contact points for the stores are www.amazon.com/snapebt; www.walmart.com/grocery; and www.shoprite.com/Store-Locator.

Only SNAP benefits on EBT cards can be used for online purchases. At this time, cash assistance benefits on EBT cards cannot be used for any part of online shopping, including shopping, delivery, or service fees. Federal rules do not allow any SNAP benefits to be used for shopping, delivery, or service fees, but some food retailers may choose to waive fees (as Amazon does for orders over $35). Online shopping customers using SNAP benefits will be able to use other debit or credit cards to pay for any fees or non-SNAP-eligible items they wish to purchase.

For more information about SNAP benefits in Connecticut, visit www.ct.gov/snap.

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Connecticut Department of Housing announces federal approval of CARES Act dollars

The Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH) today announced that it has gained approval from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regarding the federal dollars the state agency is receiving from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that will be utilized for housing issues. DOH was awarded $8.1 million in CDBG-CV funding and $8.1 million in ESG-CV funding. This is the first tranche of federal dollars that DOH was awarded under the CARES Act.

Eligible activities under CDBG-CV include – but are not limited to – making interim improvements on private properties to enable an individual patient to remain quarantined on a temporary basis; providing test diagnosis or services at a fixed or mobile location and providing equipment necessary to carry out the public service; and delivering meals on wheels to quarantined individuals or individuals that need to maintain social distancing due to medical vulnerabilities.

ESG-CV eligible activities include – but are not limited to – the expansion of rapid rehousing, expansion of shelter operations, establishing an eviction prevention program, and utilizing monies for telehealth. DOH has oversight of most of the homeless shelters in the state. This federal funding will assist DOH’s ongoing efforts of moving homeless individuals from hotels into permanent housing.

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Attorney General Tong, Connecticut State Police release public service announcement encouraging residents to fact check COVID-19 information

Attorney General William Tong and the Connecticut State Police today released a public service announcement encouraging residents to fact check the information they receive about the COVID-19 pandemic and beware of scam artists who are attempting to spread false information.

The public service announcement can be watched on Attorney General Tong’s YouTube channel.

Complaints of scams can be filed on the website of the Office of the Attorney General.

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As of 4:00 p.m. – Monday, June 1^st – the state is reporting a total of 42740 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 3964.

*Today for the first time, DPH is reporting cases and deaths as “confirmed” or “probable.” Previous reports reported these as a combined number. The only change today is that they are being separated to conform with CDC reporting guidance. Probable cases of COVID-19 involve persons who have not had confirmatory laboratory testing (RT-PCR) performed for COVID-19, but whose symptoms indicate they are very likely to have a COVID-19 infection. In Connecticut, most of the probable COVID-19 cases involve persons whose death certificates list COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death.

Latest COVID-19 Testing Data in Connecticut

Updated 4:00 p.m. on Monday, June 1, 2020

Total patients who tested positive: 40670 confirmed/2070 probable

Fairfield County: 15003/298

Hartford County: 9752/310

Litchfield County: 1333/22

Middlesex County: 1084/36

New Haven County: 11088/151

New London County: 1033/23

Tolland County: 768/13

Windham County: 376/1

Pending address validation: 233/0