COVID Update 9.1

September 1, 2020

Some students in the district went back to school yesterday, and others will be going back next week. "Back to School" this year looks different for every family and I have heard from many of you about the anxiety caused by the uncertainty about COVID-19. The reality of the situation struck home yesterday, when a staff member at Cornwall Consolidated School tested positive for COVID-19. All the extensive preparation that has taken place at Region One snapped immediately into effect: immediate contact tracing took place and quarantine protocols were instituted for the staff member and the three people with whom there was contact.  As it happened during professional development week, no students were present at the school.

The importance of the school system’s rigorous use of masks, physical distancing of six feet of more, and use of outdoor spaces for meetings was immediately clear.  Those practices, underpinned by the hard work put in by the teachers, staff, administrators, boards of education, bus drivers, and all of the families and the students themselves, help keep everyone safe this year.
 
To hear an interview Robin Hood Radio’s Marshall Miles conducted with Interim Region One Superintendent Lisa Carter, click here.
 
 
On another safety note, school reopening mean buses are on the roads and drivers must be alert to students on the side of the road as their buses pick up and drop off. As school districts across the district reopen on various schedules, you could see buses and students on the roads virtually any time of day.
 
REMEMBER: VEHICLES MUST STOP FOR A SCHOOL BUS FLASHING RED LIGHTS
By law, drivers approaching a school bus must stop their vehicle at least 10 feet from the front or the rear of the bus until it no longer displays its signals. Drivers are also prohibited from turning toward a school bus that is receiving or discharging passengers.
https://portal.ct.gov/DOT/PP_Policy/Documents/School-Bus-Safety
 
Two quick administrative notes:

  • We are having challenges with the voicemail system, which is cutting off the beginning of voicemail messages.  Until we can get that fixed, if you call my office and leave a message at (860) 240-8585, please pause for a moment before beginning your message.  Better yet, you can call my aide Noemi directly at (860) 240-8528. 
  • If you reached out to me about health concerns and the DMV recently, please email me at Maria.Horn@cga.ct.gov – your message got cut off and I’d like to get back to you with information. 

Here’s a list of today’s topics:

  • Governor Lamont extends Connecticut’s State of Emergency to February 9
  • Extended public comment period for Eversource rate increases
  • Weekly update to the regional travel advisory: two states added, no areas removed
  • Home weatherization can help reduce energy bills
  • Preparing for hurricane season
  • Connecticut Children’s Back to School Kit
  • Judicial branch to resume court operations at four more locations on September 8
  • International Overdose Awareness Day
  • Lime Rock Park Events for Historic Festival 38 over Labor Day Weekend
  • Connecticut Minimum Wage Increases Today
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 extends Connecticut’s State of Emergency to February 9
 
Governor Lamont today announced that he has signed orders extending to February 9, 2021, Connecticut’s states of civil preparedness and public health emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally declared in March and scheduled to expire on September 9, the governor said that the states of emergency must remain in place in order for the state to effectively respond to the unprecedented and ongoing global pandemic.
 
Extended public comment period for Eversource rate increases
 
All Eversource customers will be provided another opportunity for public comment on Eversource Energy’s recent rate increases and related issues, following a request filed by the Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC). The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) heard initial comments from the public at a hearing on Eversource’s rate increase on August 24. Given the extended length of that hearing some consumers who wished to speak were unable to remain present until the public comment portion of the hearing. 
 
The PURA public comment hearing will be held via Zoom on September 10, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. To register, all members of the public should submit their information to the OCC through this Online Registration Form. Likewise, consumers may contact the OCC via email at occ.info@ct.gov or by telephone at 860-827-2900. The direct link to the Zoom public comment hearing may be accessed at https://ctdeep.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcofuGqqj0uGdIzcn300ttCQqABLc9GBLOJ.  
 
Following the receipt by consumers of higher than anticipated electricity bills in July, Governor Ned Lamont requested that PURA investigate recent rate increases by Eversource and The United Illuminating Company. The investigations of Eversource is occurring in PURA Docket No. 20-01-01. OCC is actively participating in both proceedings to ensure that the perspective of electric ratepayers is adequately represented. 
 
PURA is still accepting written public comment and those Eversource customers who wish to comment in writing are encouraged to submit their written comment to PURA via e-mail at pura.executivesecretary@ct.gov referencing Docket No. 20-01-01. Up to date information on upcoming hearings and registration information may be accessed on PURA’s Calendar of Events.  
 
In addition, PURA has scheduled three upcoming public comment hearings for October 21st, 22nd, and 23rd at which time the public will have the opportunity to comment on Eversource and United Illuminating’s responses to Tropical Storm Isaias. Members of public seeking more information should contact PURA at the e-mail address above referencing Docket No. 20-08-03. 
 
Weekly update to the regional travel advisory: Two states added, no areas 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 Alaska and Montana on the list of impacted locations. No areas were removed in this week’s update.
 
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
  • Alaska
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Guam
  • Hawaii
  • Iowa
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Minnesota
  • Missouri
  • Mississippi
  • Montana
  • 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.

Home weatherization can help reduce energy bills
 
A resource that offers potential to reduce your energy bills is weatherizing your home.

The Home Energy Solutions (HES) program, funded by a small fee on our electric bills, is offering FREE home energy audits until the end of 2020, if you have not had an audit in the past 36 months. This is a revised program designed to make up for the time lost this year because of the pandemic, and includes new safety procedures to cope with COVID-19. One of them is a virtual pre-audit by phone.

During the in-home visit, authorized contractors from your utility provider may make no-cost on-the-spot energy improvements for those who are income eligible.

Preparing for hurricane season
 
Peak hurricane season in Connecticut began in mid-August and runs through mid-October, and we’ve already experienced several tornados in our region. Preparing for emergency weather can help keep you and your loved ones safe, organized and informed during a weather emergency. 
 
Here are some simple tips you can take today, care of the United Way of Connecticut: 

United Way of Connecticut 2-1-1 is a gateway to services related to emergency/disaster response and recovery as well as a statewide resource for emergency-related information collection and dissemination. Call 2-1-1 or visit www.211ct.org  for access to services and to stay informed during any extreme weather episode.
 
2-1-1 also maintains several eLibrary papers that can help you get prepared and stay informed including: How to Prepare and Safely Weather a Hurricane/Tornado, and How to Prepare and Safely Weather a Flood.
 
Connecticut Children’s Back to School Kit
 
The pediatric experts at Connecticut Children’s put together a Back to School Kit designed to answer questions and ease concerns that many parents have about the start of the school year.  It addresses issues such as:

  • Is It Safe to Send Your Child Back to School During COVID-19?
  • A Checklist to Help Parents Decide: Send Kids Back to School or Keep Them Home During COVID-19?
  • Is It a Good Idea for My Child With Asthma to Go Back to School or Day Care During COVID-19?
  • Is It Safe to Send Your Child Back to Day Care During COVID-19?

 
The Kit also includes information on important topics such as:

  • 16 Activities to Practice Mask-Wearing
  • 8 Things to Practice With Your Kids Now for COVID-19 Classroom Safety
  • Creating Your Child’s Ideal “Home Office” for Distance Learning
  • 10 Items to Add to Your Child’s Back-to-School Supply List for COVID-19

 
Click HERE to access Connecticut Children's Back to School Kit.

Judicial branch to resume court operations at four more locations on September 8
 
The Connecticut Judicial Branch announced today that some court operations will resume at the following locations on Tuesday, September 8:
 

  • Geographical Area No. 23 Courthouse at New Haven, 121 Elm Street
  • Juvenile Matters at New Haven, 239 Whalley Avenue
  • Juvenile Matters at Waterford, 978 Hartford Turnpike
  • Juvenile Matters at Willimantic, 81 Columbia Avenue

A range of civil, criminal, family, and juvenile proceedings are being processed both by remote technology and within courthouses. Individuals entering a court facility must wear a face mask covering their mouth and nose. In addition, to allow for social distancing, the number of people allowed into a courthouse, courtroom, office, lobby, or corridor may be limited.
 
International Overdose Awareness Day
 
On International Overdose Awareness Day yesterday, the Litchfield County Opiate Task Force held a powerful vigil and resource fair in Coe Memorial Park in Torrington, honoring those we have lost to addiction, and the loved ones they leave behind.  Speakers included many in recovery, and those who have experienced death and loss from addiction up close.  As I walk through the crowd at these events, I see young people who could be my own kids, others who could be my siblings, or remind me of a parent: they are all part of our family.
 
At this particular event, when I was walking among the various tables set up by McCall Behavioral Health, Mountainside Treatment, Greenwoods Counselling Referrals, and other local nonprofits, a woman I didn’t recognize called out to me across the crowd. When I approached, she told me she was in recovery, how much it meant to her that I showed up at so many of these events, and how that helped counter the stigma for those suffering with addiction.  In the midst of a somber event, she went out of her way to tell me that what I did mattered, and to make sure I felt good about that. There was a lesson there for how we should all treat each other.
 
For any of us who know someone suffering from their own addiction or that of a loved one, don’t turn away, even if you don’t know what to say, or how to help. Make it clear that you love them, that you’re glad for every day they’re still here, and that you want to be part of their path forward: it can make a real difference in their lives.

Lime Rock Park Events for Historic Festival 38 over Labor Day Weekend
 
Now in its 38th year, the Labor Day Weekend Historic Festival at Lime Rock Park has been a time-honored tradition since 1982, and will continue this coming weekend in a way that protects public health but gives us all a chance to participate. 
It will be kicked off with the annual Vintage Race & Sports Car Parade on Thursday September 3 from 4-7pm.  One of the longest automotive parades in the Northeast, the parade leaves Lime Rock Park at 4 p.m. on Thursday, September 3, 2020, making its way along a 17-mile route, including the towns of Lime Rock, Lakeville, Salisbury and Falls Village. Please note that the traditional street fair in Falls Village following the parade will not take place this year for public health reasons.
Each parade participant contributes $25 each that is donated to a local charity. If you own a 1975 or older sports car or vintage race car and want to be in the Vintage Race & Sports Car Parade, visit http://limerock.com/historicfestivalparticipantinfo to apply.
The park will also hold its first limited spectator event of the season this weekend, the Sunday in the Park Concours d’Elegance and Gathering of the Marques, bringing nearly 1,000 motorcars and motorcycles to the track. Tickets will be limited and available through advance sale only at https://tickets.limerock.com/
 
Connecticut Minimum Wage Increases Today
 
Today, thousands of Connecticut residents will receive a raise. These incremental increases will continue with raises to $13 on August 1, 2021, $14 on July 1, 2022, and $15 on October 15, 2023.

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.