COVID-19 Updates 8/14

August 14, 2020

I hope you are continuing to stay strong because we will get through this together. Here is the latest on COVID-19 data, resources, and words of encouragement from local, national, and world leaders.

Local and National Data Updates
(Latest Data as of 4:00 PM on Friday, August 14, 2020)
 
  Confirmed Cases    Deaths    Tests Completed
Worldwide 21.2 Million 760,385  
U.S. 5.45 Million 171,112 69.2 Million
Connecticut   50,897 4,453 936,680
Waterbury 2,284 193  

For several additional charts and tables containing more data groups, including a town-by-town breakdown of positive cases in each municipality and a breakdown of cases and deaths among age groups, click here.

Positivity for the Future

“As we move forward preparing for the end of  Summer, please be mindful of your surrounding and certain family gatherings. As families and children are preparing for returning to school, however that may look like, we must still be vigilant and wear a mask for safety. These are certainly unsettling times, but together we can forge a head through this and persevere. Let’s use precaution and be safe, praying for a safety for all.” - State Rep. Geraldo Reyes

I want to share that ARTE, Inc. is announcing their 2020 Scholarship Awards and application guidelines.

Applicants must be of Hispanic/Latino descent and must be a registered resident of Connecticut for a minimum of one year. Citizenship is not required to apply. All awards are based on funding and are limited. 
 


IMPORTANT: Applications must be received by 5:00PM Friday, August 28, 2020.
 
Please note awards will be distributed directly to schools, colleges, or universities.  Scholarship funds are not distributed directly to individual recipients.  Recipients must maintain a minimum of a “B” average in order to qualify for future scholarships. 
 
Follow
this link for application form.

Applications and guidelines are also available in Spanish - please contact ARTE at (203) 469-4536 with questions.

Connecticut Tax Free Week begins SUNDAY! During this one-week sales tax holiday, retail purchases of most clothing and footwear items priced under $100 are exempt from Connecticut sales and use tax. This exemption applies to each eligible item under $100, regardless of how many of those items are sold to a customer on the same invoice.
 
For more information, click here.
Next week is CT Farm-to-Chef Week. Starting August 16th, culinary professionals will be encouraged to use Connecticut Grown ingredients in new ways on their menus while educating residents and visitors about the diversity of farm products grown and raised in Connecticut. This is a fantastic way to simultaneously support our local farmers and restaurants.
 
To find a participating restaurant near you, click here.

Regional travel advisory updated to include more locations with high COVID-19 infection rates, several locations removed

The regional travel advisory between Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York that went into effect last month and directs incoming travelers from states with a significant community spread of COVID-19 to self-quarantine for a 14-day period was updated and now includes Hawaii, South Dakota, and the Virgin Islands on the list of impacted locations. Meanwhile, the states of Alaska, New Mexico, Ohio, and Rhode Island have been removed from the list.

The quarantine applies to any person arriving from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average or a state with a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.

As of today, the full list of locations meeting this criteria includes:

  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Iowa
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maryland
  • Minnesota
  • Missouri
  • Mississippi
  • Montana
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • Oklahoma
  • Puerto Rico
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Virgin Islands
  • Virginia
  • Washington (Metrics for Washington are currently pending review, status may change)
  • Wisconsin

This list will continue to be updated on a regular basis as the situation develops across the country. Anyone seeking the most up-to-date information on the regional travel advisory is encouraged to visit the state’s coronavirus website.