Susan Johnson

Data updates on testing in Connecticut

The following is a summary of the day-to-day newly reported data on cases, deaths, and tests in Connecticut. It is important to note that these newly reported updates include data that occurred over the last several days to a week. All data in this report are preliminary, and data for previous dates will be updated as new reports are received and data errors are corrected.

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

Additional SNAP benefits coming to 105,000 households in Connecticut on October 16

The Connecticut Department of Social Services today announced that it will provide $16.2 million in Emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) benefits to nearly half of Connecticut’s SNAP participants on Friday, October 16, 2020. These benefits come in addition to the $119.6 million in emergency benefits disbursed in April, May, June, July, August and September.

Authorized by the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, the extra food benefits will go to approximately 105,000 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 reports that approximately 105,000 of 216,073 SNAP-participating households statewide will receive the emergency benefits in October.
• With this additional $16.2 million allocation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, emergency benefits are totaling over $135.8 million in additional SNAP assistance statewide during April, May, June, July, August, September, and October, with commensurate spending in the food economy.
• The average emergency benefit amount a household will see on its electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card on October 16 is $150.
• All participating households also received their normal SNAP benefits on the first three days of each month they normally do, according to last name.
• If a household is granted regular SNAP benefits after October 16 and is also eligible for the emergency supplemental benefits, the latter benefits will be added to the EBT card on a Friday, depending on the date of granting.

Emergency benefits 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	$204
2	$374
3	$535
4	$680
5	$807
6	$969
7	$1,071
8	$1,224

For each additional person, add $153. For example, if a household of two normally received $274 of SNAP benefits in October, $100 would bring this household up to the maximum benefit for its size. This household will receive a $100 emergency benefit on October 16.

For additional information about SNAP, visit www.ct.gov/snap.

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.