COVID-19 Updates 8/4

August 4, 2020
GOVERNOR LAMONT PROVIDES UPDATE ON CONNECTICUT’S CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE EFFORTS (Latest Data as of 2:30PM on Tuesday, August 4, 2020)
Data updates on testing in Connecticut

A county-by-county breakdown includes:


 

County

COVID-19 Cases

COVID-19 Deaths

COVID-19 Hospitalizations

Confirmed

Probable

Confirmed

Probable

Fairfield County

17,223

653

1,096

312

15

Hartford County

12,071

640

1,092

320

14

Litchfield County

1,537

63

117

21

1

Middlesex County

1,330

61

153

38

4

New Haven County

12,692

408

954

150

23

New London County

1,358

63

77

26

2

Tolland County

992

61

52

14

0

Windham County

707

9

14

1

1

Pending address validation

232

10

0

0

0

Total

48,142

1,968

3,555

882

60

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

Regional travel advisory expanded to include more locations with high COVID-19 infection rates

The regional travel advisory between Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York that went into effect last month and directs incoming travelers from states with a significant community spread of COVID-19 to self-quarantine for a 14-day period was updated today and now also includes the State of Rhode Island. Meanwhile, Delaware and Washington, DC have been removed from the list.

The quarantine applies to any person arriving from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average or a state with a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.

As of today, the full list of locations meeting this criteria includes:

  • Alaska
  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Iowa
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maryland
  • Minnesota
  • Missouri
  • Mississippi
  • Montana
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Nebraska
  • New Mexico
  • Nevada
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Puerto Rico
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • Wisconsin

This list will continue to be updated on a regular basis as the situation develops across the country. Anyone seeking the most up-to-date information on the regional travel advisory is encouraged to visit the state’s coronavirus website.

Important Update for Low-Income Families
(COVID utility protection ends September 9th, but extension is possible)

Your family can continue receiving utility protection through October 31, but you must call your utility company to get coded for HARDSHIP or WINTER protection.

The PURA (Public Utilities Regulatory Authority) July 21, 2020 ruling extends protection through October 31, 2020 for hardship customers. On November 1, hardship customers are protected from utility shutoff by the winter protection moratorium, which is effective through May 1.

Families can use information below to get Hardship or Winter Protection

To get Hardship or Winter Protection:

  1. Call your utility company
  2. Ask to be coded “Hardship” or “Winter” protection

Companies must offer a payment plan you can afford. Ask about:

  • Below Budget Worksheet (payment of $50 or $75 per month regardless of back bill)
  • New Start (affordable monthly payment/entire back balance forgiven if 12 months of consistent payments)
  • Matching Payment Programs (affordable monthly payment as low as $75.00 – balance reduction)
  • Energy Assistance (payment toward back heat bill – you can also call your local Community Action Agency)
  • Operation Fuel (financial assistance for unpaid back bills for qualified customers)

Families Should CALL NOW to Extend Utility Protection and Get a Payment Plan

  • United Illuminating: (800) 722-5584
  • Eversource: (800) 286-2000
  • Connecticut Natural Gas: (860) 727-3000
  • Southern Connecticut Gas: (800) 659-8299

For help or more information:

  • Bonnie Roswig, Center for Children’s Advocacy: (860) 566-0836 or email
  • United Way: 2-1-1 InfoLine
  • Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA): (800) 382-4586

Additional SNAP benefits coming August 14 for over 108,200 households in Connecticut

The Connecticut Department of Social Services will be providing $16.4 million in Emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) benefits to nearly half of Connecticut’s SNAP participants on Friday, August 14, 2020 – adding to the $84.5 million in emergency benefits disbursed in April, May, June, and July.

Authorized by the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, the extra food benefits are going to over 108,200 households not currently receiving the maximum benefits allowed for their household size. This means that all households enrolled in SNAP will receive the maximum food benefit allowable for their household size, even if they are not usually eligible for the maximum benefit.

Specifically:

  • The Department of Social Services expects that over 108,200 of 225,600 SNAP-participating households statewide will receive the emergency benefits in August.
  • With this additional $16.4 million allocation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, emergency benefits are totaling over $100.9 million in additional SNAP assistance statewide during April, May, June, July, and August, with commensurate spending in the food economy.
  • The average emergency benefit amount a household will see on its electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card on August 14 is $153.
  • All participating households also received their normal SNAP benefits on the first three days of each month they normally do, according to last name.

Emergency benefits will allow the household’s SNAP benefit to increase to the maximum allotment for a household of that size as follows:

Household size

Maximum Benefit Amount

1

$194

2

$355

3

$509

4

$646

5

$768

6

$921

7

$1,018

8

$1,164

(Each additional person: add $146)

For example, if a household of two normally received $255 of SNAP benefits in August, $100 would bring this household up to the maximum benefit for its size. This household would receive a $100 emergency benefit on August 14.