Bob Godfrey

Governor Ned Lamont today said Connecticut has achieved two of the seven criteria laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and the federal government to begin reopening the state on May 20. The state's progress against coronavirus/COVID-19 may add more criteria but the lack of widespread testing continues to lag.

The governor said, “We want to be able to get up to 42,000 tests per week. That’s our goal, over the next two weeks. On average, we want to double up the amount of testing we are doing right now.” Governor Ned Lamont today said Connecticut has achieved two of the seven criteria laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and the federal government to begin reopening the state on May 20. The state's progress against coronavirus/COVID-19 may add more criteria but the lack of widespread testing continues to lag.

The governor said, “We want to be able to get up to 42,000 tests per week. That’s our goal, over the next two weeks. On average, we want to double up the amount of testing we are doing right now.”

The governor said the state did not have to hit all seven criteria to move forward with the May 20 plans but that he was confident “real progress” would be made over the next two weeks.

Click here for the governor's Powerpoint presentation and watch the press conference in its entirety:

Updated list of nursing homes and assisted living facilities with residents who have tested positive for COVID-19

The following documents are updated lists of every nursing home and assisted living facility in Connecticut with residents who have tested positive for COVID-19, along with corresponding data regarding the number of related fatalities among residents in each facility. The data was reported to the state by each of the nursing homes and assisted living facilities. These lists are updated on a weekly basis.

**Download: Data on nursing homes in Connecticut as of May 6, 2020
**Download: Data on assisted living facilities in Connecticut as of May 6, 2020

Governor Lamont signs 38^th executive order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19
Governor Lamont today signed another executive order – the 38^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. 7KK enacts the following provisions:

• Pharmacists are permitted to order and administer Food and Drug Administration approved tests for COVID-19: Authorizes pharmacists to order and administer COVID-19 tests.

Self-employed residents seeking aid can now apply for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance
The Connecticut Department of Labor today announced that it has made active the filing site so those who are self-employed can complete the necessary filing applications for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). Those seeking to apply should visit www.filectui.com and locate the red button labeled with the PUA designation. The site will accept applications from self-employed individuals, including independent contractors and “gig” workers who have already applied through the state unemployment system and have received a determination notice in the mail.

To date, more than 38,000 self-employed individuals have completed the first step of the federally-required two-step process. The first step, which requires individuals to file an application on the state unemployment system, generates a determination notice that is sent by applications via mail.

The notice, also known as a UC-58, notifies those eligible to file as a self-employed person that wage data is not available and disqualifies them for state benefits. Under guidelines set by the federal government, this two-step process ensures accurate accounting and integrity measures.

Because self-employed individuals already applied through the state unemployment system, the newly-built PUA site will have a record of a person’s state benefit ineligibility status. The PUA system requires applicants to create an account with a unique password and ID. The secure site also collects the applicant’s name, birthdate, and social security number, in addition to wage information.

Applicants will also be asked the date when COVID-19 impacted their employment. Federal guidelines allow this to go back to February 2, 2020. If an unemployed status goes back to retroactive weeks, the system requires applicants to provide weekly earnings through the current week filing.

For more information on how to apply for benefits under the PUA system, read the press release issued today by the Connecticut Department of Labor.

Providing information to Connecticut residents

The CTAlert notification system - the state’s emergency alert system - provides text message notifications to users. Sign up by texting COVIDCT to 888-777. And for the most up-to-date information from the state on COVID-19 - including frequently asked questions, guidance and resources - visit ct.gov/coronavirus. You can also find answers to general questions by calling the 2-1-1 hotline. It's available 24 hours a day with multilingual assistance and TDD/TTY access.