Maria Horn

I lived my day backwards yesterday, starting with the party, and ending with work. 
 
The “party” took place at Sharon Hospital, where I received my first COVID-19 vaccination, at the hands of the very professional and efficient staff there.  The waiting area, where we all sat in socially distanced chairs, either waiting (very briefly) to get the shot, or for the 15 minutes to elapse after that shot (for staff to make sure you’re not having an adverse reaction of any kind), was festive, as we greeted friends and neighbors we hadn’t seen for awhile.  I even witnessed a marriage proposal (in jest, but it was still fun).  We all felt as if we were crossing a threshold into a better place. 
 
After driving diagonally across the state for a press conference in Norwich celebrating the long-sought agreement between Connecticut and its tribal partners to modernize gaming in the state, we all headed back to Hartford for a legislative session, still done remotely from our offices in the capitol. 
 
We voted on two bills.  The first was HB 6672,  an extension of the Governor’s executive orders until May 20, 2021.  Though my own vaccination in the morning was a sign of better times ahead, we cannot forget that we are still working through a global public health emergency, with infection rates ticking up slightly as we grapple with new variants of COVID-19.  The utility of those emergency orders was clear even yesterday, when the Governor was able to accelerate the eligibility schedule, making everyone over 16 years old eligible for the vaccine on April 1 (instead of April 5).  With the public health situation still fluid, allowing for a nimble response also ensures that we do not miss out on any federal emergency aid. 
 
The second bill was HB 6610, which codified executive orders that allow restaurants to expand their ability to serve customers outdoors.  The legislation permits restaurants to operate under these relaxed rules through March 31, 2022, and allows municipalities to expedite permanent changes to their zoning rules if they wish to expand the availability of outdoor dining and retail activity.
 
 
One event happening tonight that I want to remind you about: at 6:00 pm I will host a conversation about vaccines with Dr. Henry Lamothe of Hartford Hospital.  It will be held via Facebook Live, and you can submit your questions there and we will weave them in.  If you miss it, I will make it available to you in another format.  Hope to “see” you then!
 
To those celebrating, I wish you and your family a happy Passover, and that your heart and home be filled with warmth, joy and cheer.  

Please remember that you only need to register if you wish to provide testimony. If you want to observe the hearings, you can tune in to watch the proceedings live on the committee’s YouTube channel.
 
You can register to testify and find more detail on this week’s public hearings, including the bills that will be heard, in this week’s CGA Bulletin. You can access the Bulletin here.

Here’s a list of today’s topics:

• Data Updates on Vaccine Administration. Click here.
• Date Updates on Variants. Click here.
• Nursing Home and Assisted Living Update. Click here.
• COVID Alert Map. Click here. 
• Anti Vaccine Disinformation. Click here. 
• Resources for Homebound Individuals. Click here.
• Increase to Lending Limit for COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Click here. 
• EIDL Deferment Update. Click here.
• Free COVID Testing in New Milford. Click here. 
• Seasonal Allergies or COVID-19. 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 vaccine administration in Connecticut
 
The following data represents the total number of COVID-19 vaccinations administered in Connecticut, as reported to the state as of today:
 

Dose	Total Administered
First doses administered	1,101,821*
Fully vaccinated	619,154*
Total doses administered	1,680,671*

 

 
*NOTE: A total of 40,304 doses of the single-dose J&J vaccine are included in each category
 
So far, 38 percent of all adults over the age of 16 in Connecticut have received at least one dose, including 80 percent of all adults over the age of 75.
 
Connecticut ranks among the top 3 most vaccinated states in the nation.
 
Because of the efficient speed at which Connecticut’s vaccine providers have been getting doses out, Governor Lamont announced yesterday that the state plans to accelerate its vaccine program even further. All adults in Connecticut over the age of 16 will now be eligible to schedule a vaccination appointment beginning April 1, 2021 – several days earlier than originally planned.(Previously, the eligibility date for this age group was April 5.)
 
Those who are currently eligible to receive the vaccine in Connecticut include:
 

• All individuals over the age of 45;
• Healthcare personnel;
• Medical first responders;
• Residents and staff of long-term care facilities;
• Residents and staff of select congregate settings; and
• PreK-12 school staff and professional childcare providers.

 
Information on Connecticut’s COVID-19 vaccination program is available at ct.gov/covidvaccine.
 
Data updates on variants of concern in Connecticut
 
The following data contains the cumulative number of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern that have been reported among Connecticut residents as of today:
 

• B.1.1.7 (first detected in the United Kingdom): 379 cases
• B.1.351 (first detected in South Africa): 7 cases
• P.1 (first detected in Brazil): 2 cases
• B.1.427 (first detected in California): 2 cases
• B.1.429 (first detected in California): 7 cases

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.
 
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 25, 2021 on COVID-19 in Connecticut nursing homes **Download: Report from March 25, 2021 on COVID-19 in Connecticut assisted living facilities

 

 
Weekly update of the Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 Alert Map: 132 of 169 municipalities in red zone alert level
 
The Connecticut Department of Public Health released its weekly COVID-19 Alert Map, which indicates that 132 of 169 towns and cities in Connecticut are currently in the red zone alert level, the highest of the state’s four alert levels.  Of the 13 towns in the gray zone (the lowest case rate), five are in the Northwest corner.   
 
CT Attorney General Tong Presses Facebook, Twitter to Stop Anti-Vaccine Disinformation
 
Attorney General William Tong is leading a coalition of eleven other attorneys general calling on Facebook and Twitter to take stronger measures to stop the spread of anti-vaccine coronavirus disinformation on their social media platforms. In letters to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, the attorneys general urge both leaders to immediately and fully enforce company guidelines against vaccine misinformation to prevent needless infection and death and to hasten our road to recovery.
 
Resources for Homebound Individuals

• United Way/211 Resources for Transportation to Vaccine Locations:https://uwc.211ct.org/categorysearch/transportation/

• Homebound Intake Survey for those interested in getting on the waitlist the be scheduled to receive the vaccine at home: https://dphsubmissions.ct.gov/homebound  

 
SBA Increases Lending Limit For COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans 

Starting the week of April 6, 2021, the U.S. Small Business Administration is raising the loan limit for the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Applicants can now receive a maximum loan amount of $500,000. The lending limit increased from 6-months of economic injury with a maximum loan amount of $150,000 to up to 24-months of economic injury with a maximum loan amount of $500,000.

Business that have already received the Economic Injury Disaster Loan do not need to submit a request for an increase at this time. SBA will reach out directly via email and provide more details about how businesses can request an increase closer to the April 6 implementation date.

Any new loan applications and any loans in process when the new loan limits are implemented will automatically be considered for loans covering 24 months of economic injury up to a maximum of $500,000.

EIDL Deferment Update

The SBA announced on March 12, 2021 extended deferment periods for all disaster loans until 2022. SBA will extend the first payment due date for disaster loans made in 2020 to 24-months from the date of the note and to 18-months from the date of the note for all loans made in calendar year 2021. 

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.