Josh Elliott

GOVERNOR LAMONT PROVIDES UPDATE ON CONNECTICUT’S CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE EFFORTS (Latest Data as of 7:30PM on Tuesday, May 5, 2020)

Data updates on testing in Connecticut

A county-by-county breakdown includes:

County	Laboratory-Confirmed Cases	Hospitalizations	Deaths
Fairfield County	12,360	519	935
Hartford County	6,351	369	804
Litchfield County	1,065	24	95
Middlesex County	734	42	95
New Haven County	8,337	504	610
New London County	681	34	45
Tolland County	502	7	43
Windham County	223	1	4
Pending address validation	368	0	2
Total	30,621	1,500	2,633

For several additional graphs and tables containing more data, including a list of cases in every municipality, click here.

Governor Lamont signs 36^th executive order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19

Governor Lamont today signed another executive order – the 36^th since he enacted the emergency declarations – that builds upon his efforts to encourage mitigation strategies that slow down transmission of the virus. Executive Order No. 7II enacts the following provisions:

1. Extension of school class cancellations for remainder of school year: Extends the cancellation of in-person classes at public schools statewide for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year. Schools will be required to continue providing distance learning during this period.
2. Authorization for the Department of Social Services commissioner to temporarily waive, modify, or suspend home health regulatory requirements: Makes it easier for Medicaid members to access home health services by allowing payment for these services to be ordered by advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants, in addition to physicians.
3. Extension of the start date for imposition of a late fee for obtaining dog licenses from July 1, 2020 to August 1, 2020: Provides dog owners with a grace period through July 31, 2020 before a late fee is imposed for dog licenses, which are normally issued in June of each year.
4. Authority to waive certain requirements for the issuance of vouchers under the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children: To limit the need for in-person transactions, this order waives the signature requirement on the voucher registry for the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, and permits any adult to act as a designated proxy to pick up and redeem the vouchers on behalf of an eligible participant.

**Download: Governor Lamont’s Executive Order No. 7II

Governor Lamont announces in-person classes at K-12 schools canceled for remainder of academic year

This morning, Governor Lamont announced that he is ordering in-person classes at all K-12 public school facilities in Connecticut to remain canceled for the rest of the 2019-2020 academic year and continue providing distance learning during this period. Schools will also be required to continue providing meals to children under the school lunch and breakfast programs for consumption at home, as they have been throughout this emergency.

The governor is consulting with state and local education officials regarding whether summer school programming should commence as scheduled. He anticipates having guidance on that matter toward the end of this month.

For more information, read the press release issued today by Governor Lamont.

Teacher Appreciation

We are celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week and today is Teacher Appreciation Day.

I would like to take a moment to send a heartfelt thank you to all the teachers and teaching staff who have gone above and beyond their usual duties to ensure our students don’t fall behind through this challenging time.

Their invaluable work, dedication, commitment and love for their profession is admirable and today, more than ever, we recognize them as Heroes!

Please take a moment to reach out to your child's teacher, or someone you know who's a teacher, and give him or her a well-deserved "Thank You."

Department of Revenue Services extends application deadline for municipalities to submit locally approved Neighborhood Assistance Act proposals

In recognition of the impact of COVID-19, the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services (DRS) has extended the application deadline for municipalities to submit their locally approved Neighborhood Assistance Act project proposals until July 31, 2020. The State of Connecticut awards up to five million dollars in tax credits to businesses that sponsor approved projects on behalf of a tax-exempt organization or municipal agency through the Neighborhood Assistance Act, which is administered annually by DRS.

For more information, read the press release issued today by the Department of Revenue Services.