June 4th Update on COVID-19 & Recent Events

June 4, 2020

To help you and our neighbors stay up-to-date on the ever-evolving stream of information related to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, my office and I are working to provide news as it develops over social media and by email. This is a recap of some of this week’s highlights.

Below you can find information on the following topics:

  • Latest COVID-19 Numbers
  • Unemployment Benefits
  • Summer Schools Reopening Plan
  • Access Health CT Enrollment Deadline
  • Philanthropic Organizations, 4-CT to Provide Emergency Assistance to Vulnerable Residents
  • AAA License Services
  • Comptroller's Report on State Finances
  • Statewide Project to Track Pandemic Infection Data
  • High School Graduations
  • Manchester Greater Together Advisory Committee
  • Statement on Recent Events

For more information about the state's response efforts visit ct.gov/coronavirus. To receive text message notifications, sign up for CTAlert, the state’s emergency alert system. To subscribe, text "COVIDCT" to 888-777. For daily updates and information from me, please visit and "like" my official Facebook page.

COVID-19 Numbers

Here are the latest statistics as of June 4. The good news of course is that the daily hospitalizations, fatalities, and infection rates are all down dramatically from where we were in April.

I will still be providing regular Covid-19 updates on Facebook, but as the virus declines, I will be posting the stats on weekly basis instead of daily. You can continue to track all of the data at ct.gov/coronavirus

Unemployment Benefits

Due to an executive order signed by Governor Lamont yesterday, the state Department of Labor will consider worker claims where heading back to their workplaces would create “an unreasonable risk” to the health of either the worker or a member of their household. While it could be a factor in considering extending unemployment benefits, it doesn’t assure the continued state support.

Click here to read the executive order.

Summer Schools

Summer schools are preparing to open on July 6, 2020. A reopening plan has been developed outlining safety measures, daily operating practices, and restrictions to ensure that our students and teachers are better protected.

To read the plan, click here.

Access Health CT Enrollment Deadline

Time is running out as Access Health CT deadlines approach for residents that lost health insurance due to job loss. People may enroll any time within 60 days of losing their job, but the deadline to enroll is approaching fast for those who lost their health insurance in early April.

You can find more information and videos that describe in detail how to enroll on the Access Health CT website.

Make sure to also compare coverage to COBRA, as the marketplace may offer a better, less expensive choice. For more information, click here.

Philanthropic Organizations, 4-CT to Provide Emergency Assistance to Vulnerable Residents

Governor Lamont on Wednesday announced that the State of Connecticut is partnering with philanthropic organizations in an effort to provide emergency assistance to vulnerable residents in the state who are most directly impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency and are otherwise ineligible from receiving assistance through federal relief programs.

This includes $2.5 million in state funding that will be made available to provide rental assistance to those who are ineligible for similar aid by the CARES Act. The Connecticut Department of Housing will administer this program, which is currently in development.

Additionally, the philanthropic organization 4-CT, which was created with the express purpose of providing emergency assistance to the state’s residents during the current pandemic, will be making $1 million available to Connecticut families who are excluded from existing federal relief programs. These funds will be made available through a novel solution – the 4-CT Card – which will provide direct, one-time payments to families. The program will engage trusted community-based organizations as partners to provide assistance.

AAA License Services

AAA today announced that they have reopened eight of its retail stores in Connecticut and are now providing Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) licensing services, however customers are required to make appointments in advance in order to provide for social distancing. Previously, these services had been available on a first come, first served basis.

Officials at the DMV stress that deadlines for all licenses that expire ‪between March 10, 2020 and June 30, 2020‬ have automatically been extended by 180 days, so it is not necessary to renew these credentials until that extension has expired. However, anyone who would like to get their licensed renewed now has the option to get this done at AAA retail stores.

The AAA stores that have reopened include Avon, Cromwell, Enfield, Manchester, Old Saybrook, Southington, Waterford, and West Hartford.

To make an appointment with AAA, click here.

Comptroller's Report on State Finances

Comptroller Kevin Lembo just released his monthly update on the state’s financial status.

These numbers show us what many people feel – that this pandemic is having significant effects on people’s employment and housing, as well as our state budget. Click here to read the report. 

Statewide Project to Track Pandemic Infection Data

Governor Lamont announced a project that will identify, through blood samples, people who have developed antibodies to COVID-19. This will provide the state with data to better inform our response and enhance efforts to stop the spread of the virus.

Click here to read the announcement.

High School Graduations

Starting July 6th, school districts will be able to hold outdoor graduation ceremonies if they follow certain guidelines.

These include:

  • Wearing masks
  • Social distancing
  • Maximum crowd sizes of 150 (including graduates)

Click here to read more on this announcement from Governor Lamont.

Applications for Manchester Greater Together Advisory Committee

The selection committee that is responsible for picking members of the Manchester Greater Together Community Funds Advisory Committee has released the following statement:

In 2019 The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving established a Greater Together Community Fund for each of the 29 towns in its funding area, which includes Manchester. The purpose of the community funds program is to support residents in taking ownership of their town to encourage broad and inclusive civic engagement, and to connect HFPG with each town.  In the first year, up to $50,000 will be available for each town and a matching amount of $50,000 will be invested.  In subsequent years, the interest from the invested funds will be available for distribution. 

The Manchester Greater Together Community Funds Advisory Committee is seeking members.  The Committee is to be made up of Manchester residents and will be inclusive, representative, and reflective of all residents of the community.  The Advisory Committee will identify community needs and design a grantmaking process aimed to ensure that the community funds can have the greatest impact for the benefit of town residents.  Karen Hartenstein of The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving will provide ongoing assistance for the Advisory Committee. 

The selection committee from Manchester who’s role is to select the first Advisory Committee members and ensure that it is inclusive and reflective of all town residents are Michelle D’Aiuto, Anne Carr, Barry Curcio, Molly Devanney, Rich Fitzgerald, Heather Guerette, Kasey LaFlam, Jake Otto, Peyton Rutledge, Judith Rose and Ben Creamer.   

If you would like to be part of the Manchester Greater Together Advisory Committee you must be a Manchester resident, be over the age of 14 and cannot be an elected official.  The Advisory Committee will be made up of 5-15 members and will be reflective of town demographics.  Committee members will need to abide by a conflict of interest policy. Interested applicants can access the application by clicking here or can email us at manchestercommunityfund@gmail.com.  Completed applications can then be submitted online or mailed to Manchester Community Fund, c/o Heather Guerette, P.O. Box 191, Manchester, CT 06045-0191.

The deadline to apply is Friday, July 31, 2020.  Questions can be emailed to manchestercommunityfund@gmail.com or we can be reached by phone at 860-338-1612.

On Recent Events

Finally, a few words about the recent events in Minneapolis and elsewhere across the country and here in Connecticut. Like most everyone, I am horrified by the killing of George Floyd and so many others before him, including some here close to home.

In 2019, I proudly voted for SB 380 which instituted many police accountability reforms including restrictions on certain forms of physical restraint, requiring that certain body-worn or dashboard camera recordings be disclosable to the public within 96 hours after an incident, restrictions on when a police officer can engage in a vehicle pursuit and when an officer engaged in a vehicle pursuit can discharge a firearm into or at a fleeing motor vehicle.  

But that was last year and recent events across America and here at home show us there is always going to be more to be done. For a start, we can improve upon that law by adopting additional reforms, including increasing use of body cameras for all officers and also by taking another look at evolving police training standards and deescalation and the recruitment and promotion of more officers of color. But there are many more potential reforms and more conversations to be had. We need to continue to come together and talk about these things to get all good ideas on the table. I believe we should try to address the issues we can in a special session this year and then continue the work every year going forward.

Then of course, we need to continue to talk about all of the related issues and the broader implications of systemic institutional racism and income inequality, food and housing insecurity, access to capital and economic opportunity, etc. and what we can to do to address it. It takes many forms and it will continue to be something I will focus on at the legislature.

Finally, let me say I understand and I believe in the existence of white privilege. I have two young sons myself, and I know that their chances of walking out the door in the morning onto the streets of America and meeting with the same fate as George Floyd, Tamir Rice or Trayvon Martin are so much lower than their black or brown classmates at school - and that is shameful and just plain inexcusable. As a white male legislator, I do not believe it is my place to take the stage now and start offering my solutions to these problems - rather my responsibility right now is to listen and support communities of color and then to use my position and my vote to help advocate for and promote the change we need.

I attended a peaceful demonstration in Manchester this week and I look forward to doing so again this coming weekend. First on Saturday 6/6 at Noon at Town Hall in Manchester, and then on Sunday at Noon at Riverfront Park in Glastonbury. I hope you will consider joining us as well.