COVID-19 Updates 10/2

COVID
October 2, 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, October 2, 2020)
 
  Confirmed Cases    Deaths    Tests Completed
Worldwide 34.7 Million 1 Million  
U.S. 7.53 Million 213,305 109 Million
Connecticut   58,297 4,513 1.67 Million
Waterbury 2,597 193  

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 our country heads into a Presidential election, make sure you have a solid voting plan. Prayers for all who have have fallen - to our friends, family members who have endured through this awful virus. Life has funny and interesting turns, one must live it, one day at a time." - State Rep. Geraldo Reyes

“Remember the good times, be strong during the difficult times, love always, laugh often, and thank God for every day” - Unknown
Virtual Event
Rise of the Latinx Vote:
Hispanic Identity at the Polls 
Wednesday, October 7 - 7 pm
 

The Latinx voter has transformed the US electoral landscape. As the number of constituents who identify as Hispanic grows, so do the questions surrounding their role in the ever changing world of American politics. How did this fundamentally diverse group become a voting bloc? Can it be considered a unified, nationwide constituency?
 
Join our panel of experts: Prof. Benjamin Francis-Fallon of Western Carolina University, Prof. Victoria DeFrancesco Soto of the University of Texas at Austin, Prof. José Cruz of SUNY Albany, and CT Reps. Cristopher Rosario and Geraldo Reyes of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus, as they discuss the rise of the Latino vote. 
 
Moderated by Prof. Charles Venator Santiago of the UConn Department of Political Science. 

This event will be broadcast on Facebook Live. 
Click to RSVP
 

Connecticut Department of Public Health issues Halloween guidance to ensure trick-or-treaters have a safe and healthy holiday

The Connecticut Department of Public Health today released a document providing guidance to the state’s residents in order to ensure that traditional Halloween activities can be celebrated while being done in a safe and healthy manner amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Governor Lamont stressed that while the state is not enacting any new rules that are specific to Halloween, he is strongly encouraging Connecticut residents who are planning to participate in traditional holiday activities to review the guidance and take the advised precautions seriously in order to limit further spread of the virus.

To read the guidance for how to safely celebrate Halloween activities this year, click here.
DMV amends extension of deadlines for several credentials

The Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) today

 announced that the agency is extending deadlines again for several expiring credentials. The change impacts credentials that expired between March 10, 2020 through November 30, 2020. Late fees will be waived for qualifying credentials

Deadlines have been extended for the following DMV transactions:
  • All licenses, permits, and identification cards, including commercial driver’s licenses
  • Motor vehicle and boat registrations
  • Emissions testing and retesting
  • Permanent disability placard

Credentials that have expiration dates of March 10 through May 31, 2020 will be valid until November 30, 2020. Credentials that have expiration dates of June 1 through November 30, 2020 will be valid until December 31, 2020.

The extensions are intended to help safeguard the general public against the spread of COBID-19 and to maintain social distancing within offices.

For questions, updates, or information about recent extensions of previously issued extensions, click here, or call 860-263-5700 (within the Hartford area) or 1-800-842-8222 (outside the Hartford area).

Weekly update to the regional travel advisory: Colorado meets metrics to qualify, Arizona and Virginia 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: Colorado has been added to the list of impacted locations that meet the metrics to qualify, and Arizona and Virginia have been removed from the list.

The requirement to quarantine applies to any person traveling into Connecticut from a state with a positive case rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, or higher than a 10 percent test positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average. It also applies to any person arriving into Connecticut from a country for which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice.

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.

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. North Carolina
  23. North Dakota
  24. Oklahoma
  25. Puerto Rico
  26. Rhode Island
  27. South Carolina
  28. South Dakota
  29. Tennessee
  30. Texas
  31. Utah
  32. West Virginia
  33. Wisconsin
  34. Wyoming

For the most up-to-date information on the regional travel advisory, including an extensive list of frequently asked questions.