Maria Horn

As we sprint headlong into our committee deadlines, most of which expire next week, there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes to negotiate specific bill language in order to maximize support for them.  We had a couple of those bills in the Public Safety & Security Committee this week, and have a few more on the agenda for next week, and language will probably be negotiated right up until the committee meeting itself.  One bill we passed yesterday was HB 6597, which consists of a series of modifications to the act we passed this summer on police accountability. Successfully negotiating final language which resulted in the unanimous passage of that bill out of committee was the highlight of my week.

Another bill that passed favorably yesterday focused on hate crimes and extremist violence. This week we had two searing reminders of the need to focus on this.  One was the shooting deaths of 8 people, including 6 Asian women, in Atlanta.  Whatever the shooter himself may say, the fact that he chose those specific victims speaks volumes.  We know that attacks, both verbal and physical, on people of Asian ancestry have escalated during the pandemic.   Some of those attacks include explicit statements of hate, but many do not, and as there aren’t widely understood visual symbols of hatred against those of Asian ancestry, proving a hate crime can be challenging. 

We also saw the release this week of a report from the Director of National Intelligence highlighting the fact that domestic violent extremism is posing a heightened threat today.  Of particular note is that violent extremists can become radicalized alone, after consuming violent extremist material online.  This brand of violence is one the rise, and it is particularly corrosive to our social bonds.  

The bill we passed in the Public Safety and Security Committee (SB 122) created a central unit within the state police whose primary purpose is to gather and share intelligence on hate crimes and extremist activity with local law enforcement units statewide. After extensive work to get the details and language right, and to create a policy that helped our police investigate these crimes, I’m proud that the bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. 

One other bill I wanted to highlight is an Act Concerning Equitable Access to Broadband (HB 6442).  I’m happy to say that this bill also passed favorably out of the Energy & Technology Committee this week, so it now moves to the House.  It is likely that there will be further negotiations on this bill, but getting the support of the committee was an important step forward.

I have a couple of events coming up this week I wanted to highlight, both via Facebook Live (I will try to make them available on another format for those who aren’t on Facebook): 

•  Monday, 3/22 at 6:00 pm: Norfolk Forum is hosting an event where I will have the opportunity to talk about climate change and what the state is doing to combat it. 
• Friday, 3/26 at 6:00 pm: a conversation with Dr. Henri Lamothe of Hartford Hospital, focusing on vaccines. 

Here’s a list of today’s topics:

•  Data Update on Variants in CT. Click here. 
• Mandatory requirements of Connecticut’s travel advisory no longer in effect as of today, however caution continues to be urged. Click here.
• Nursing Home and Assisted  Living Update. Click here.
• COVID Alert Map. Click here. 
• Executive Order No. 10D. Click here.
• Scam Calls. Click here.
• Vaccine Update. Click here. 
• Governor Lamont, Mohegan Tribe, Mashantucket Pequot Tribe Reach Agreement. Click here.
• IRS Extends Tax Deadline. Click here.
• WOW Forum October 1. Click here.
• Nuvance Health Facebook Live Q&A series on vaccines. 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, “Data Tracker.”
 
Data updates on variants in Connecticut
 
The following data contains the cumulative number of SARS-CoV-2 variants that have been reported among Connecticut residents as of today:
 

• B.1.1.7: 283 cases
• B.1.351: 7 case
• P.1: 1 case
• P.1.427: 1 case
• P.1.429: 3 cases

 
The B.1.1.7 variant was first detected in the United Kingdom; the B.1.351 variant was first detected in South Africa; the P.1. variant was first detected in Brazil; and the P.1.427 and P.1.429 variants were both first detected in California.
 
For a town-by-town breakdown of where in Connecticut each of the patients involved in these cases reside, see page 7 of this week’s extended COVID-19 data report.

 
Mandatory requirements of Connecticut’s travel advisory no longer in effect as of today, however caution continues to be urged
 
As the result of an executive order regarding Connecticut’s travel advisory that Governor Lamont signed on Thursday, the mandatory requirements for people who travel outside of Connecticut, including those related to self-quarantining after travel, is no longer in effect as of today. However, the Connecticut Department of Public Health continues to urge the state’s residents and those who are traveling to the state to be cautious and follow the latest travel-related guidance from the state and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
 
Those who are planning travel outside of Connecticut are urged to visit portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus/travel to read the latest recommendations.

 
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.
 

**Download: Report from March 18, 2021 on COVID-19 in Connecticut nursing homes **Download: Report from March 18, 2021 on COVID-19 in Connecticut assisted living facilities

 

 
 
Weekly update of the Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 Alert Map: 108 of 169 municipalities in red zone alert level
 
The Connecticut Department of Public Health today released its weekly COVID-19 Alert Map, which indicates that 108 of 169 towns and cities in Connecticut are currently in the red zone alert level, the highest of the state’s four alert levels.
 
The color-coded zones include:

• Red: Indicates case rates over the last two weeks of greater than 15 per 100,000 population
• Orange: Indicates case rates between 10 to 14 cases per 100,000 population
• Yellow: Indicates case rates between 5 and 9 per 100,000 population
• Gray: Indicates case rates lower than five per 100,000 population

The Northwest corner occupies a relatively healthy sector of the map: of the 20 towns in the gray zone, 9 are located in our region.
 
The COVID-19 Alert Map is updated every Thursday afternoon and can be found in the Data Tracker page of the state’s coronavirus website at ct.gov/coronavirus.

Governor Lamont signs Executive Order No. 10D enacting the following provisions:

• Relaxation of capacity limits for religious, spiritual, or worship gatherings: Removes capacity limits for religious, spiritual, and worship gatherings effective Friday, March 19, 2021, provided that all persons present at any such gathering wear masks, except for designated speakers speaking from designated safe locations, and a distance of no less than six feet is maintained between people who do not live in the same household.
• Repeal of mandatory travel advisory and self-quarantine requirements: Repeals the previously issued mandatory travel advisory and self-quarantine requirements, effective Friday, March 19, 2021. The Connecticut Department of Public Health continues to recommend limiting travel to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

In addition to these executive orders, the Department of Economic and Community Development has updated the sector rules to relax certain capacity and other restrictions, effective March 19, 2021, in accordance with the governor’s previous announcement.
 
Scam calls, including those purporting to be from Eversource
 
I have had several alarming reports of spam calls in the last week, including calls appearing to come from your town, or from Eversource.  If you get a call about the status of your Eversource account, do not give any information over the phone, but instead head to eversource.com or call 800-286-2000 if you have questions about your account status. 

Vaccine Update
 
As of today, those aged 45 to 54 are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and may sign up for an appointment.
 
In our region, actually getting an appointment has been quite difficult.  That has started to change substantially in the past week, in particular due to the work of town-based social service agents and senior service coordinators, who have had local appointments set aside for them.  If you have been eligible but haven’t been able to schedule an appointment, please reach out to them.  As for those newly eligible, we ask for your patience as the system accommodates a large influx of people trying to sign up.

Governor Lamont, the Mohegan Tribe, and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe reach agreement on modernization of gaming
 
Yesterday, Governor Lamont, Mashantucket Pequot Tribe Chairman Rodney Butler, and Mohegan Tribe Chairman James Gessner Jr. announced yesterday hat an agreement has been reached between the Lamont administration and both tribes that will allow the State of Connecticut to modernize gaming options available to state residents, including allowing for sports wagering and online gaming.
 
The agreement will generate tens of millions of dollars in new revenue for the state, while keeping Connecticut competitive with gaming currently being offered or considered in neighboring states. The agreement also provides the inclusion of the Connecticut Lottery Corporation as a partner in the effort to modernize the state’s gaming landscape.
 
IRS will extend tax deadline from April 15 to May 15
 
I have heard from several constituents still feeling the economic punch delivered by this pandemic asking whether the federal tax deadline would be extended, and this week we got an answer: yes, they will extend the deadline until May 15.

Save the Date for the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce WOW Forum on October 1st

In honor of International Women’s Day earlier this month, the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce announced date for its annual WOW Forum, the theme of which is a timely reminder that “Mindfulness Matters.”

Nuvance Health Facebook Live Q&A series on vaccines
 
Nuvance Health (the parent of Sharon Hospital) has kicked off a Facebook Q&A series on addressing questions on the safety of vaccines.  You can watch it here:  https://youtu.be/vwlfiNoVYlQ.  On March 24, Dr. Valerie Cluzet will address how vaccines work.
 
Visit Nuvance Health on Facebook to submit your questions before the Wednesday Q&As.
 
 
Providing information to Connecticut residents
 
For the most up-to-date information from the State of Connecticut on COVID-19, residents are encouraged to visit ct.gov/coronavirus. Residents can also subscribe to text message alerts from the state by texting the keyword COVIDCT to 888-777.
 
Individuals who have general questions that are not answered on the website can call 2-1-1 for assistance. The hotline is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance. Anyone who is out-of-state or requires a toll-free number can connect to Connecticut 2-1-1 by dialing 1-800-203-1234. This 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 are strongly urged to contact their medical provider.