Maria Horn

I had several reasons this week to be reminded of how we take care of each other in our towns, even when it isn’t immediately apparent. 
 
It started with a couple of examples of how my neighbors are looking out for me.  I’m a runner, and, in normal times, that can be a social thing, as I run in road races in every town throughout the district.  It’s a great way to meet people, experience the beauty of our region, and get some exercise.  But these days are not normal: most races have been canceled, and my routine is mostly confined to my usual 5.6 mile route on my own road.  It’s spectacularly beautiful, but mostly solitary, as I rarely speak with anyone (though I do always wave at passing drivers).  A few days ago a neighbor told me that, although I never see them when I run, her kids watch out for me at my usual time, and if they don’t see me, they want their mom to check up on me.  Yesterday another neighbor, out walking his dog, asked if I was okay – he’d seen me stopping and starting a lot recently and wanted to know if I was injured.  (Recently I’ve stopped to take a lot of phone calls, but, honestly, I was also a little tired!)
 
This week also included Veteran’s Day, an occasion to honor and celebrate the service and sacrifice of our veterans, for our country and our communities. I attended a ceremony in North Canaan, at the WWI Doughboy Statue, where Kirk Harrington, commander of Couch Pipa VFW Post 6851, spoke and conducted a Rifle Salute and Honor Guard.  I had the privilege of speaking with Korean War veteran U.S. Marine Sgt. Nick Gandolfo about work he has been doing for many years in Torrington providing meals to veterans for Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. He’s a perfect example of the service of our veterans: it never stops. As he reminded me, “once a Marine, always a Marine.”  We owe our veterans a deep debt of gratitude, for the service they have given, and for the model they set in our communities every day.
 
One upcoming event: This Saturday, November 14, I will be participating in the Drive to End Alzheimer’s, sponsored by Lime Rock Park.  The drive will leave Lime Rock Park promptly at 9:00 am, and then loop through several towns.  To register (there is a donation required), or to see the route, click here.

Here’s a list of today’s topics:

• Weekly update on the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Click here.
• Weekly update of the Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 Alert Map: one-hundred municipalities now in red. Click here.
• Connecticut CARES Small Business Grant Program is now accepting applications. Click here.
• COVID Alert CT. Click here.
• Holiday Guidance. Click here.
• AAA Northeast hosting a discussion with Representative Jahana Hayes re the federal transportation outlook. Click here.
• Help for businesses with CT Paid Leave Program. Click here.
• Changes for COVID-19 Testing at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital. Click here.
• Free COVID Testing. Click here.
•  Parent & Teen Workshop in November. Click here.
• Additional SNAP benefits coming November 19 to 110,000 households in Connecticut. Click here. 

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.”

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.

**Download: Report from November 13, 2020 on COVID-19 in Connecticut nursing homes **Download: Report from November 13, 2020 on COVID-19 in Connecticut assisted living facilities

Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 Alert Map: one-hundred municipalities now in red
 
The Connecticut Department of Public Health released its weekly COVID-19 Alert Map, which indicates that 100 cities and towns in Connecticut are now in the red zone alert level, the highest of the state’s four alert levels, including Goshen and Torrington, both newly added this week.  North Canaan, which was previously in the red zone, and Kent are now listed in the orange zone. 
 
The red zone indicates municipalities that have an average daily COVID-19 case rate over the last two weeks of greater than 15 per 100,000 population. The orange zone indicates those that have case rates between 10 to 14 cases per 100,000 population. The yellow zone indicates municipalities that have case rates between 5 and 9 per 100,000 population, and those indicated in gray have case rates lower than five per 100,000 population.
 
The weekly alert map is also accompanied by a chart that provides guidance on recommended actions based on the alert levels for individual residents; institutions such as schools, houses of worship, and community organizations; as well as municipal leaders and local health directors.
 
The Department of Public Health will be working with individual cities and towns in the higher-alert levels, including their local health departments, to provide community resources and help make community-level decisions.
 
The COVID-19 Alert Map is updated every Thursday around 4:00 p.m. and can be found in the Data Tracker page of the state’s coronavirus website at ct.gov/coronavirus.
 
Connecticut CARES Small Business Grant Program is now accepting applications
 
The Connecticut CARES Small Business Grant Program, which Governor Lamont announced last month, has begun accepting applications from small businesses.
 
The program will provide small businesses and nonprofits that have a 2019 annualized payroll of less than $1.5 million or 20 or fewer employees with a one-time grant of $5,000. All funding will be disbursed by the end of December and will not require repayment.
 
The grant can be used for rent, payroll, utilities, inventory or complying with the CT Reopen Business Sector Rules. Full details including eligibility requirements, a schedule for virtual office hours, FAQs, other resources, and the application can be found here.
 
The $50 million program, funded from Connecticut’s portion of the federal CARES Act, will provide aid to small businesses and nonprofits that continue to be negatively impacted by COVID-19.
 
The grant application will only be available for a limited time. It is anticipated that the application period will close by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 19, however that is highly dependent on demand. All interested small businesses and nonprofits are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
 
COVID Alert CT 
 
Connecticut residents can now take advantage of a new notification app that will help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 throughout their communities.

COVID Alert CT will notify users on their smartphones if they may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 without sharing any personal information.

The app is free and available now for Apple and Android users.

Since yesterday's launch, more than 300,000 users in Connecticut have activated COVID Alert CT on their mobile devices.

How does it work? Check it out:

• First, users should visit ct.gov/covidalertct, where they can find instructions on how to download the app for their specific device.
• Once installed, the app uses Bluetooth to sense whether a user’s device has been within 6 feet of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more in one day – without sharing any personal information.
• If a user has been near another person who has tested positive and is also using the app on their personal device, an alert will be triggered notifying the user that they may have been exposed to COVID-19.
• A notification will not be triggered if two devices in this scenario are just passing by for a short duration or stay more than 6 feet away from each other. 

If a user tests positive:

• A contact tracer from the Connecticut Department of Public Health, their local health department, or their higher education institution will ask them if they are willing to share the “close contact” codes their app has logged while they may have been contagious.
• If the user agrees, a contract tracer will provide them with a verification code.
• Once that code is submitted through the user’s app, those individuals who came within 6 feet of that user for more than 15 minutes and who also are using the app will receive a notification on their device that they were in close contact with someone with COVID-19.
• Sharing this status is secure and private. The app will never reveal who the user is to anyone else.

 Holiday Guidance 
 
Connecticut has released a video with information encouraging families to be safe this holiday season. You can find the video here. 
 
This video is available in a :15 length and in Spanish, with a variety of other resources at portal.ct.gov/coronavirus/communityresources.   
 
For other questions on how to safely celebrate this holiday season, please reference the state's recommendations on the coronavirus response website.   
 
AAA Northeast hosting a discussion with Representative Jahana Hayes re the federal transportation outlook
 
AAA Northeast is hosting webinars over the next few weeks with members of the Connecticut Congressional delegation, including a conversation with Representative Jahana Hayes on Tuesday, Nov. 24, from 11-11:30am.
 
The program is free but requires registration, so please register for Rep. Hayes program if you wish to participate.
 
 
Help for businesses with CT Paid Leave Program
 
On November 13 at 8:30 pm, Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA) will host a conference on Connecticut’s Paid Family & Medical Leave Program.  CT Paid Leave CEO Andrea Barton Reeves will present an overview of the new law, highlighting key dates and actions employers must be aware of and implement.  You can register here.
 
Changes for COVID-19 Testing at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital
 
The drive thru testing site at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital (CHH) will be closed on Saturday, November 14, in order to winterize the tent where tests are conducted. 
 
The site will also be moving to a different location at the end of the month to accommodate more cars and improve access to the CHH outpatient entrance. The new site is 211 High Street, Torrington.
Parent & Teen Workshop in November
 
Western CT Coalition is hosting a workshop “Raising Fiscally Fit Teens” on Wednesday, November 18 from 7-8pm.  Topics covered will include savings, ATM cards, and credit.  The conversation will be moderated by Joyce Sixsmith, M.A., L.A.D.C., a counselor and prevention specialist, and will include Bankwell experts Fio Carbone, Vice President and Branch Manager, and Toure Surgeon, Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager.  To register, click here or call (203) 743-7741. 

Additional SNAP benefits coming November 19 to 110,000 households in Connecticut
 
The Connecticut Department of Social Services today announced that it will provide $16 million in Emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) benefits to more than half of Connecticut SNAP-eligible households on Thursday, November 19 – adding to the $137.8 million in emergency benefits disbursed in April, May, June, July, August, September, and October.
 
Authorized by the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, the extra food benefits will go to approximately 110,000 households not currently receiving the maximum benefits allowed for their household size. This means that all households enrolled in SNAP will receive the maximum food benefit allowable for their household size, even if they are not usually eligible for the maximum benefit.
 
For additional information about SNAP, visit www.ct.gov/snap.

 
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.