Covid-19 Update for October 12, 2020

Sen. Hwang Covid-19 Update for the week of October 5, 2020

Numbers on the rise – keep vigilant to keep yourself and others safe

Aside from the increases in the infection statistics (information below), headlines have been featuring the varied school reactions to staff and student infections. Notably some schools and some entire districts have switched to all remote learning. While it is incredibly important for people to be returning to work and students to have the option to learn in the classroom, it is more important that you and your household members take all necessary precautions to present the spread of infection.   

The Office of the Governor provided the following updates as of 4:00 p.m. on Monday, October 12, 2020:

Data updates on testing in Connecticut

The following is a summary of the day-to-day newly reported data on cases, deaths, and tests in Connecticut.

County-by-county breakdown:

For several additional graphs and tables containing more data, including a list of cases in every municipality, visit ct.gov/coronavirus and click the link that is labeled, “COVID-19 Data Tracker.”

For more information visit ct.gov/coronavirus and click the link that is labeled, “COVID-19 Data Tracker.”

Governor Lamont signs 74th (9B) and 71st (9C) executive orders related to COVID-19

Executive Order No. 9F enacts the following provisions:

• Amendments to size restrictions on certain gatherings: Enacts the previously announced, Phase 3 increases in gathering sizes for spiritual, religious, and worship services.
• Extension of drive-in worship services and graduations: Continues the previously enacted provisions regarding drive-in religious and graduation ceremonies through at least November 9.

Connecticut Department of Public Health issues COVID-19 alert in New London after significant rise in new cases

The Connecticut Department of Public Health today issued a COVID-19 alert for New London due to a rising level of new cases in recent weeks. The department is working with local officials to get the word out in the community to take extra precautions for the time being, including: limiting trips outside the home, wearing masks anytime when leaving the house, avoiding indoor gatherings with people who are not part of a household, and not attending large outdoor gatherings.

• For more information on the COVID-19 alert issued for New London, read the press release issued by the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

Governor Lamont announces new fines for violating rules on mask wearing & social gatherings

Last month, the Governor announced rules under which residents could be fined $100 for violating the mask mandate, $250 for attending a large, unsanctioned event and $500 for organizing a large, unsanctioned event. Currently, the state has capped events at 25 people indoors or 100 people outdoors. 

The new fines are enacted through Executive Order No. 9B and went into effect at midnight Thursday, September 17, 2020.

New Child Care Guidance on Masks for Children Age 3 & Up

Preschools and child care centers around the state are now required to have all children 3 years and older wear masks. In addition, the allowable group size in one space is increased to 16 children (However, 18 children may be permitted if certain requirements are met. Also, a group size of eight (8) children is still required for infants and toddlers in a licensed child care center or group child care home. The capacity of a licensed family child care home is not modified by this change.) The new regulations require child care programs and camps to create a written policy for mask-wearing.

Read the most up-to-date guidance here.

Connecticut Department of Education announces new data collections to better evaluate and support student participation and engagement during the 2020-21 academic year

Connecticut Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona today announced that the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) is rolling out two new data collections to promote transparency and make data-driven decisions that support student engagement and participation during the 2020-21 school year. The weekly collection of Learning Models and Enrollment, as well as the monthly collection of Student Membership and Attendance, will allow CSDE and districts to evaluate and monitor attendance and participation trends.

Results from the initial collection of Learning Model and Enrollment Data during the week of September 8 to 11 can be viewed here.

In early October, the CSDE will also begin collecting student-level attendance data for the month of September. An add-on to the Public School Information System (PSIS) Register Module, the monthly collection of Student Membership and Attendance will allow for more detailed reporting of student attendance by district, school, and student-group.

Weekly update to the regional travel advisory: Puerto Rico added, six states removed

The regional travel advisory between Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York that directs incoming travelers from states with a significant community spread of COVID-19 to self-quarantine for a 14-day period was updated today: New Mexico has been added to the list of impacted locations that meet the metrics to qualify, and no states or territories were removed from the list this week.

Anyone arriving to Connecticut from any of the impacted locations is required to fill out a travel health form upon their arrival. The form can be filled out online at ct.gov/travelform.

The list of impacted locations is updated once per week every Tuesday. As of today, the full list of impacted locations under the travel advisory includes:

1. Alabama
2. Alaska
3. Arkansas
4. Colorado
5. Delaware
6. Florida
7. Georgia
8. Guam
9. Idaho
10. Illinois
11. Indiana
12. Iowa
13. Kansas
14. Kentucky
15. Louisiana
16. Minnesota
17. Mississippi
18. Missouri
19. Montana
20. Nebraska
21. Nevada
22. New Mexico
23. North Carolina
24. North Dakota
25. Oklahoma
26. Puerto Rico
27. Rhode Island
28. South Carolina
29. South Dakota
30. Tennessee
31. Texas
32. Utah
33. West Virginia
34. Wisconsin
35. Wyoming

Anyone seeking the most up-to-date information on the regional travel advisory, including an extensive list of frequently asked questions, is encouraged to visit the state’s coronavirus website at ct.gov/Coronavirus/travel.

Weekly update on the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes and assisted living facilities

The following documents contain the weekly data regarding each of the nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Connecticut that have reported positive cases of COVID-19 among their residents. The data is presented as it was reported to the state by each of the facilities. If a facility is not listed, that means it is reporting that it does not have any residents who have tested positive.

Connecticut Department of Labor announces federal Lost Wages Assistance extended to six weeks

Federal Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program updates: As of September 2020, certification for the program is open to all claimants and the program has been extended for a total of six weeks of benefits. The program gives an additional $300 per week benefit for eligible claimants who were unemployed or partially unemployed due to COVID-19.

Certification for the program is open. New unemployment claimants and existing state and extended benefits claimants are required to self-certify. Existing Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claimants have already self-certified and do not need to do anything to receive the additional benefit.

A total of six weeks of Lost Wages Assistance will be paid in addition to regular unemployment weekly benefits and will be retroactive to the claim week beginning July 26, 2020. It will also be available for claim weeks beginning August 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30, 2020. Claimants will receive the supplemental benefit in several payments. The first payment of $300 was expected to be disbursed to claimants beginning September 17, 2020, with the remainder of retroactive payments following in two or three separate payments.

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