Maria Horn

The need to close the digital divide and provide reliable internet access for every resident becomes more clear with every event that befalls us.  The pandemic showed us that bare-bones access is not adequate for a family working from home with children who are expected to learn remotely. Health care also suffers when there’s no internet access. 

When there is adequate connectivity, we’ve learned to use technology to improve outcomes.  Tele-medicine was not only critical during the pandemic, but it’s a huge benefit to our region, bringing medical expertise and services directly into our homes rather than requiring a trip across the state.  In response to the pandemic, towns were given flexibility about holding meetings online, which in many cases has increased citizen participation and efficiency: today I had a conversation with a local elected official about how well that’s worked, and the need to make that permanent.
 
There are several town-based initiatives working hard to find creative ways to increase connectivity, and region-wide efforts like Northwest ConneCT, the Northwest Hills Council of Governments, and studies conducted by the Region One School system to illustrate and address the divide in our communities. The Governor and state-wide philanthropists have also focused attention on the issue throughout Connecticut, and there are efforts on the federal level focusing on the absence of broadband in rural areas.  I have conversations every week with different intersecting groups of people who are beginning to see the contours of the problem, particularly in our region, as we build bridges between communities left behind in order to advocate for the resources we need to thrive. 
 
The aftermath of Tropical Storm Isaias also had an impact on this issue.  Yesterday PURA held a hearing on Eversource’s recent rate increase, at which more than a thousand residents presented testimony about the failures of this electric utility to serve our needs.  Eversource wasn’t the only utility that failed us: many people also lost their phone and internet lifelines, and some homes have still not been re-connected.  We should expect better, and I hope this will present an opportunity to make sure that those companies, which have virtual monopolies to provide critical services, are held accountable for providing them, equitably, affordably, and adequately. 
 
We may cover some of those topics in my conversation on Wednesday, August 26 at 6 pm with Attorney General William Tong via FB Live. Hope you can join us!
 
Here’s a list of today’s topics:

• Governor Lamont signs Executive Order No. 7OOO (re outdoor dining, evictions, and some resumption in civil and family court matters)
• Weekly update to the regional travel advisory: Guam added, five states removed
• FEMA approves grant to CT for Supplemental Disaster Wage Unemployment Benefits
• Secretary Merrill outlines process and timelines for November General Election
• Department of Public Health issues COVID-19 alert to Danbury after significant spike in new cases
• Department of Aging and Disability Services provides guidance on the reopening of senior centers
• Connecticut producers urged to enroll in Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
• Voter Education from AARP 
• Cornwall Historical Society celebrates the 100^th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage

 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.”
 
Governor Lamont signs Executive Order No. 7OOO, including the following provisions:
 

• Extension of expanded outdoor dining: Extends previously enacted provisions regarding outdoor dining through November 12, 2020.
• Modification of the extension of 30-day period of credit for liquor permittees: Modifies the period of credit available to certain liquor permittees so that the maximum period of credit shall be 60 days after the date of delivery.
• Extension of eviction moratorium: Extends the previously enacted moratorium on residential evictions to October 1, 2020.
• Resumption of certain requirements and deadlines regarding civil and family matters: Amends a previously enacted executive order regarding defaults and nonsuits in civil and family matters.

Weekly update to the regional travel advisory: Guam added, five 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 and now includes Guam on the list of impacted locations. In addition, five states have been removed from the list, including Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Maryland, and Montana.
 
The quarantine applies to any person traveling into Connecticut from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, or higher than a 10 percent test positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.
 
The list of impacted locations is updated once per week on Tuesdays. As of today, the full list of impacted locations falling under the travel advisory includes:
 

• Alabama
• Arkansas

• California

• Florida

• Georgia

• Guam

• Hawaii

• Iowa

• Idaho

• Illinois

• Indiana

• Kansas

• Kentucky

• Louisiana

• Minnesota

• Missouri

• Mississippi

• North Carolina

• North Dakota

• Nebraska

• Nevada

• Oklahoma

• Puerto Rico

• South Carolina

• South Dakota

• Tennessee

• Texas

• Utah

• Virgin Islands
• Virginia
• Wisconsin

 
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.
 
 
FEMA approves grant to CT for Supplemental Disaster Wage Unemployment Benefits
 
The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved a grant Monday that would allow unemployed workers in Connecticut to collect an additional $300 a week in federal assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.  These benefits, which are temporary, would supplement existing unemployment in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
 
The program requires states to establish an entirely new process for claimants to access the FEMA funding. New unemployment claimants and existing state and extended benefits claimants will be required to self-certify that they are eligible under the federal guidelines. Existing Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claimants have already self-certified. The additional benefit will be retroactive to the claim week beginning July 26, 2020, and will also be available for claim weeks beginning August 2, 2020, and August 9, 2020. Additional weeks are under review.
 
FEMA will transfer the funding to the Connecticut Department of Labor, which will then disburse to eligible claimants. The agency anticipates disbursement in mid-September and expects about 250,000 claimants will be eligible for the federal benefit. The agency will mail letters to eligible claimants and release additional instruction and information as it becomes available.
 
FEMA has notified states that it will terminate the program once available federal funding is exhausted or if the federal government passes new legislation that replaces the program.
 
 
Secretary Merrill outlines process and timelines for November General Election
 
Secretary of the State Denise Merrill today outlined the process and timeline for the November general election in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
The Office of the Connecticut Secretary of the State will be sending out applications for absentee ballots to all eligible (active, registered) voters on a rolling basis between Tuesday September 8th and Friday September 11th. Voters can check their registration status at myvote.ct.gov/lookup. All voters are eligible to vote by absentee ballot for the 2020 election by checking the COVID-19 excuse on the application. Although absentee ballot applications will be mailed to every eligible voter, they are also available in English and Spanish at myvote.ct.gov/absentee.
 
Given the well-publicized problems with the United States Postal Service, Secretary Merrill is encouraging voters to use the secure ballot drop boxes to return their absentee ballot applications and the ballot themselves, in order to be sure that all critical mailings are received in a timely fashion. 
 
Although applications will be mailed to voters after Labor Day, voters should be aware that the absentee ballots themselves cannot be distributed prior to October 2nd, by Connecticut law.  For the general election, absentee ballots will be mailed locally by each town clerk, which will limit the delivery time for those residents who are in town for the election. The small amount of time between October 2nd and November 3rd makes it imperative that voters return their applications and their ballots as soon as possible. Returning the applications and the ballots early will make it easier for the town clerks to do the work that is necessary to process all of the applications and the ballots. Connecticut law only allows the counting of ballots that have arrived by the close of polls, 8:00pm on Election Day November 3rd, so returning ballots early and not relying on the post office are the best way for voters to ensure that their votes are counted and their voices heard.
 
More information can be found at myvote.ct.gov.
 
 
Department of Public Health issues COVID-19 alert to Danbury after significant spike in new cases
 
The Connecticut Department of Public Health on Friday evening issued a COVID-19 alert for Danbury after a significant increase in cases in the last two weeks, with much of the outbreak related to recent domestic and international travel. Connecticut is requiring anyone traveling to the state from many other U.S. states to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. In addition, the CDC recommends anyone returning from international travel from countries with wide-spread transmission of COVID-19 to self-quarantine for the same period of time.
 
 
Department of Aging and Disability Services provides guidance on the reopening of senior centers
 
The Connecticut Department of Aging and Disability Services released a document providing guidance for senior centers that will allow for the safe reopening of their facilities. The guidance was developed in partnership with senior centers, municipalities, and state and local health representatives. It is intended to provide senior centers with the discretion to expand the virtual programs and services that they have been providing during the pandemic beginning September 1.
  
The entire reopen guidance document can be found on the Department of Economic and Community Development’s website under Phase II of the reopen guidelines.  Each local senior center throughout the state will be making their own individual decisions regarding specific opening timelines and available programs.
 
 
Connecticut producers urged to enroll in Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
 
The Connecticut Department of Agriculture is urging farmers and producers in the state to apply for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Coronavirus Food Assistance program to provide vital financial assistance to absorb sales losses and increased marketing costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. As of Monday, August 17, 2020, approximately 100 applications for Connecticut producers have been approved, totaling $6.88 million in payments.
 
The USDA is accepting applications now through September 11, 2020. Producers should apply through the Farm Service Agency at their local USDA Service Center.
 
For more details on the program, visit farmers.gov/cfap.
 
 
Voter Education from AARP 
 
AARP has created a comprehensive non-partisan website on what voters need to know about voting in CT in 2020: AARP.org/CTVotes.  The site is also available En Espanol. 
 
 
Cornwall Historical Society celebrates the 100^th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage
 
Cornwall Historical Society is celebrating the historic 100^th anniversary of women’s suffrage by joining the @WomensVote100 #ForwardIntoLight campaign.
 
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and women's constitutional right to vote, buildings and landmarks across the country, including the Cornwall Historical Society, will light up in purple and gold on August 26, 2020 as part of the nationwide Forward Into Light Campaign, named in honor of the historic suffrage slogan, "Forward through the Darkness, Forward into Light."

Keep an eye out for the building (at 7 Pine Street in Cornwall) shinning in the suffrage colors of #PurpleAndGold on August 26, 2020.
 
To honor this milestone, CHS will be open to visitors on Wednesday, August 26 from 10:00 to 4:00.  Stop by to see the exhibit STAND UP! SPEAK OUT! FIGHT ON! The 19th Amendment at 100!  And stay for a champagne toast at sunset (7:36).
 
 
Governor Lamont encourages residents to sign up for the state’s CTAlert notification system
 
Governor Lamont is encouraging Connecticut residents to sign up for CTAlert, the state’s emergency alert system, which provides text message notifications to users. To subscribe, text the keyword COVIDCT to 888-777.
 
Providing information to Connecticut residents
 
For the most up-to-date information from the State of Connecticut on COVID-19, including an FAQ and other guidance and resources, residents are encouraged to visit ct.gov/coronavirus.
 

Individuals who have general questions that are not answered on the website can also call 2-1-1 for assistance. The hotline is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance. Relay services can be accessed by calling 7-1-1. Anyone who is out-of-state or using Relay can connect to Connecticut 2-1-1 toll free by dialing 1-800-203-1234. The hotline is intended to be used by individuals who are not experiencing symptoms but may have general questions related to COVID-19. Anyone who is experiencing symptoms is strongly urged to contact their medical provider.