Update: May 13 9:00 p.m. – State Response to Coronavirus

Friends and Neighbors,

In press release and during his nightly press briefing, Governor Lamont announced Executive Order 7NN which waives certain vote and meeting requirements, authorizes relief fund money to be sent to nursing homes and Covid recovery facilities and extends the sunset of the plastic bag tax.

To watch the full video of the governor’s afternoon 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/2020/05-2020/Governor-Lamont-Coronavirus-Update-May-13

Executive Order No. 7NN enacts the following provisions:

• Waiver of statutory vote on supplemental federal block grant
• Remote participation in member meetings
• Waiver of certain regulatory limitations on the amount of support that can be provided to caregiver relatives
• Technical modification of grace period for April and May rent
• Authorization for OPM to direct DSS to provide Coronavirus Relief Fund distributions to nursing home facilities
• Authorization for OPM to direct DSS to provide Coronavirus Relief Fund distributions to COVID recovery facilities and alternate COVID recovery facilities
• Authorization for additional COVID-19 related hardship relief funding under the Coronavirus Relief Fund to nursing home facilities
• Coronavirus Relief Fund distribution determinations not subject to rehearing or appeal
• Extension and sunset of suspension of tax on single-use plastic checkout bags

You can read the entire Executive Order here: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/Office-of-the-Governor/Executive-Orders/Lamont-Executive-Orders/Executive-Order-No-7NN.pdf

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Office of Early Childhood launches CTCARES for Family Child Care

The Connecticut Office of Early Childhood today announced that it has launched “CTCARES for Family Child Care” to provide support to licensed family child care providers during the COVID-19 public health emergency and beyond. The initiative is made possible with approximately $830,000 in support from nonprofit organizations, including the Connecticut Early Childhood Funder Collaborative, 4-CT, and other philanthropic groups – and financial support continues to grow.

CTCARES for Family Child Care connects licensed family child care providers with a Family Child Care Network to provide grant funding and other supports to help small, home-based providers keep their business running during this challenging time. Licensed family child care plays a critical role in Connecticut’s economy by providing needed child care so parents can go to work to financially support their family. During the COVID-19 emergency, 61 percent of family child care programs continue to support essential workers.

The initiative offers the following services:

1. Connecting to a Family Child Care Network: Family Child Care Networks are community entities with expertise working with family child care providers. They offer ongoing support services and resources, which may include professional development, coaching and consultation, business development training, and administrative support to increase the quality and sustainability of the family child care business. Current Networks are All Our Kin, CERCLE, EdAdvance, TEAM, Inc., and the United Way of Western Connecticut, all supported in part or whole by the OEC and private philanthropy. CTCARES for Family Child Care funding will support up to six additional Family Child Care Networks across the state.
2. Phone consultations with behavioral health experts: The Early Childhood Consultation Partnership (ECCP) will provide telephone and/or online opportunities to answer questions regarding social-emotional and behavioral concerns for children ages 0-5. ECCP can also help providers with managing self-care and dealing with stress.
3. Access to health consultation: The Connecticut Nurses Association will deliver webinars on health and safety topics related to the COVID-19 emergency in both English and Spanish.
4. Access to the Connecticut “Talk It Out Help” Line: A dedicated line for parents and caregivers offers help with the stress and increased needs resulting from caring for children during the COVID-19 emergency.
5. Grants to support operational expenses: Providers who choose to participate with one of the Family Child Care Networks will be eligible to apply for funding to support maintaining smaller group sizes, purchasing additional program supplies, and paying for expenses to enable the program to remain open.

CTCARES is supported by: 4-CT, CT Early Childhood Funder Collaborative, American Savings Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater New Britain, Connecticut Community Foundation, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Grossman Family Foundation, Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, United Way of Western Connecticut, and Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation. Several other philanthropic entities are finalizing approvals to support CTCARES for Family Child Care.

Information on CTCARES for Family Child Care can be found online at www.ctoec.org/covid-19/ctcares-for-family-child-care.

More information can be found here: https://portal.ct.gov/Office-of-the-Governor/News/Press-Releases/2020/05-2020/Governor-Lamont-Coronavirus-Update-May-13

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Flyover salute for Connecticut’s health care workers

To salute Connecticut’s health care workers for the service they are providing during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Connecticut Air National Guard will conduct Operation American Resolve on Thursday, May 14. This includes the flyover of the Guard’s C-130H aircraft over hospitals and other health care facilities throughout the state.

There are so many front line workers in Connecticut providing care, and this is our way of saluting them and saying thank you. They are true heroes, and the amount of good they are providing for our state is immeasurable.

The schedule is posted below. Please remember to maintain social distancing, watch from the safety of your homes, and avoid large gatherings.

All times listed below are estimates and subject to change. Expect C-130H aircraft overhead within plus or minus five minutes of these times:

• Torrington 11:08 a.m.
• Sharon 11:13 a.m.
• Waterbury 11:21 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.
• Danbury 11:27 a.m.
• Greenwich 11:34 a.m.
• Stamford 11:36 a.m.
• Norwalk 11:37 a.m.
• New Canaan 11:39 a.m.
• Bridgeport 11:43 a.m. and 12:09 p.m.
• New Haven 11:48 a.m.
• Derby 11:50 a.m.
• Wallingford 11:55 a.m.
• Meriden 11:57 a.m.
• Hartford 12:08 p.m.
• Farmington 12:18 p.m.
• New Britain 12:19 p.m.
• Bristol 12:20 p.m.
• Manchester 12:23 p.m.
• Vernon 12:24 p.m.
• Middletown 12:25 p.m.
• New London 12:32 p.m.
• Norwich 12:36 p.m.
• Windham 12:40 p.m.
• Putnam 12:45 p.m.
• Stafford Springs 12:51 p.m.
• Enfield 12:56 p.m.

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Governor Lamont Announces Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group to Hold Business Roundtable Thursday at 10AM

Members of the Public Encouraged to Submit Questions Related to Impact of COVID-19 on Businesses

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that members of the Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group’s business committee will hold a roundtable discussion on Thursday, May 14, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the state’s business community.

Members of the public who have questions for the panel can email their inquiries to reopen@ct.gov. The discussion will be broadcast live by the Connecticut Network (CT-N) and available to watch on its cable television channel and through a live stream on CT-N.com.

Some of the members of the advisory group’s business committee who will participate in this roundtable include:

• Moderator: David Lehman, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development
• Joe Brennan, President and CEO of the Connecticut Business and Industry Association
• Oni Chukwu, Executive Chairman of Aventri
• Dan Meiser, Chairman of the Connecticut Restaurant Association
• Fran Pastore, President and CEO of the Women’s Business Development Council
• Meredith Reuben, CEO of EBP Supply Solutions
• David Roche, President of the Connecticut Building Trades
• Garrett Sheehan, President and CEO of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce

Earlier this week, members of the advisory group’s education committee held a similar roundtable discussion regarding the impact of COVID-19 on schools. Video of that discussion can be watched online here.

The Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group is a panel of local health, business, workforce, and education experts who are consulting with the Lamont administration and legislative leadership on the reopening of Connecticut’s economy and education system as the nation emerges from the unprecedented public health emergency caused by COVID-19. The group is providing Governor Lamont with recommendations, which the governor is using to inform his decisions on the reopening of the state.

More information can be read here: https://portal.ct.gov/Office-of-the-Governor/News/Press-Releases/2020/05-2020/Governor-Lamont-Announces-Reopen-Connecticut-Advisory-Group-to-Hold-Business-Roundtable

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As of 4:00 p.m. tonight – Wednesday, May 13^th – the state is reporting a total of 34855 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 3125.

*For public health surveillance, COVID-19-associated deaths include persons who tested positive for COVID-19 around the time of death (confirmed) and persons whose death certificate lists COVID-19 disease as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death (probable).

Latest COVID-19 Testing Data in Connecticut

Updated 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Total patients who tested positive: 34855

Fairfield County: 13636

Hartford County: 7732

Litchfield County: 1179

Middlesex County: 837

New Haven County: 9570

New London County: 804

Tolland County: 560

Windham County: 287

Pending address validation: 250