State Capitol Update for the Week of February 1

February 5, 2021

Today was one of those days when a lobbying campaign, including hundreds of old-school postcards from teachers and lot of phone calls by legislators, really paid off.  For weeks now, many of us have been pushing the Governor on a couple of issues that have affected the health and safety of families in general, and teachers in particular.  The Governor listened, and today took action. 
 
One major issue concerned federal stimulus payments.  Because stimulus payments counted as income, they were causing many families to lose access to critical assistance programs. Yesterday’s executive order clarifies that individual stimulus payments from the federal government will be excluded from benefit eligibility.
 
A second major issue concerned the health and safety of teachers and school employees, who are interacting with students every day.  Today’s executive order provides paid leave for staff of local and regional boards of education, ensuring that they can prioritize their own health and safety, and, accordingly, that of the students they serve, making our schools safer for everyone as we reopen.
 
I thank everyone who participated in this initiative, and all the teachers who sent me postcards pushing for this policy change – it worked!

Here’s a list of today’s topics:

  • Governor Lamont signs Executive Order No. 10. Click here.
  • Data Updates on Vaccine Administration in Connecticut. Click here
  • Nursing Home and Assisted Living Facilities Update. Click here.
  • State Grant Program for Nonprofits. Click here
  • Protection Programs for Eversource customers. Click here

For several additional graphs and tables containing more data, including a list of cases in every municipality, visit ct.gov/coronavirus and click the link that is labeled, “Data Tracker.”
 
AnchorGovernor Lamont signs Executive Order No. 10 enacting the following provisions:
 

  • Exclusion of individual stimulus payments from benefit eligibility calculations: Repeats and expands the provisions of Executive Order No. 7CC, which exempted any CARES Act stimulus payments from eligibility calculations for state-provided benefits. This expands the exemption to all federal COVID-related stimulus to capture CARES Act II stimulus.
  • Suspension of reapplication filing requirement for the additional veterans’ tax relief program: Suspends the biennial filing requirements required under state law for veterans who were granted tax relief benefits for the Grand List year 2018 and who are required to recertify for the Grand List year 2020, and allows such taxpayers to automatically maintain their benefits for the next biennial cycle ending in Grand List year 2022.
  • Suspension of reapplication filing requirement for the Homeowners’ – Elderly/Disabled Circuit Breaker and Freeze Tax Relief Programs: Allows people who already qualify for these municipal tax relief programs to remain eligible without submitting the documentation that is normally required every two years.
  • Use of commuter parking facilities as needed for COVID-19 testing and vaccination: Suspends the state statute that required Department of Transportation commuter lots to be used only for commuter parking for carpools, vanpools, and mass transportation, and permits at these facilities the establishment and operation of COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites.
  • Renewals of liquor permits extended: Extends the postponement of the new permitting fee structure imposed by a state law passed in 2019 and was scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2020.
  • Paid leave requirements for staff of local and regional boards of education: Requested by teachers and vetted by superintendents, this order requires local and regional boards of education to continue to provide two weeks of paid leave (or equivalent for part-time staffers) for school district employees who have to miss work because they were required to self-quarantine due to COVID-19, the school closed because someone at the school was exposed, they need to care for someone subject to quarantine, they were diagnosed with COVID-19, they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and seeking medical attention, or they were required to care for a child whose school or place of care was closed or unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19. Federal legislation mandating this expired on December 31, 2020.
  • Relaxation of limits on religious gatherings: Eliminates the numerical cap on size of religious gatherings and maintains the capacity limit for these gatherings at 50 percent, effective immediately. All other health and safety measures, such as social distancing and face coverings, are still required.
  • Absentee voting eligibility during COVID-19 pandemic: Permits all voters in any special election or municipal primary held prior to April 20, 2021 to vote using an absentee ballot, citing the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason. This is similar to the order the permitted voters to use absentee ballots during elections held in 2020.

 
 
AnchorData updates on vaccine administration in Connecticut
 
The following data represents the total number of COVID-19 vaccinations administered in Connecticut, as reported to the state as of today:
 

  • First doses administered: 358,019
  • Second doses administered: 101,238
  • Total doses administered: 459,257

 
So far, the state has vaccinated 49 percent of its population over the age of 75. Connecticut remains in the top four states in the nation for vaccine distribution.
 
Connecticut is currently in phase 1b of its COVID-19 vaccination program. Right now under this phase, individuals over the age of 75 can receive the vaccine. Soon, the phase will expand to include individuals between the ages of 65 and 74, and individuals between the ages of 16 and 64 who have underlying health conditions. Residents and staff of congregate settings and frontline essential workers will soon also become eligible during this phase.
 
Information on Connecticut’s COVID-19 vaccination program is available at ct.gov/covidvaccine.
 
AnchorWeekly update on the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes and assisted living facilities
 
The following documents contain the weekly data regarding each of the nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Connecticut that have reported positive cases of COVID-19 among their residents. The data is presented as it was reported to the state by each of the facilities.
 

**DownloadReport from February 4, 2021 on COVID-19 in Connecticut nursing homes
**DownloadReport from February 4, 2021 on COVID-19 in Connecticut assisted living facilities

 

 
 
AnchorWeekly update of the Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 Alert Map: 161 of 169 municipalities in red zone alert level
 
The Connecticut Department of Public Health today released its weekly COVID-19 Alert Map, which indicates that 161 of 169 towns and cities in Connecticut are currently in the red zone alert level, the highest of the state’s four alert levels.
 
The only municipalities in the state that are not in the red zone this week are Bridgewater, Canaan, Colebrook, Cornwall, Norfolk, Scotland, Union, and Warren, all of which are in the gray alert level.
 
The color-coded zones include:

  • Red: Indicates case rates over the last two weeks of greater than 15 per 100,000 population
  • Orange: Indicates case rates between 10 to 14 cases per 100,000 population
  • Yellow: Indicates case rates between 5 and 9 per 100,000 population
  • Gray: Indicates case rates lower than five per 100,000 population

The weekly alert map is also accompanied by a chart that provides guidance on recommended actions based on the alert levels for individual residents; institutions such as schools, houses of worship, and community organizations; and municipal leaders and local health directors.
 
The COVID-19 Alert Map is updated every Thursday afternoon and can be found in the Data Tracker page of the state’s coronavirus website at ct.gov/coronavirus.
 
AnchorState grant program launched to help nonprofits with costs of implementing security improvements
 
Governor Lamont announced that the State of Connecticut is launching a competitive grant program that will provide reimbursements to nonprofit organizations throughout the state for the costs associated with implementing needed security infrastructure improvements at their facilities.
 
Administered by the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, the Nonprofit Security Grant Program is open to 501(c)(3) organizations that are at heightened risk of being the target of a terrorist attack, hate crime, or violent act.
 
A total of $5 million has been allocated for the program, and each eligible nonprofit is able to receive a maximum of $50,000 per site. Applications are now being accepted, with the first part due to the state by March 12 and the second part due by March 19, 2021. Applications will be ranked and awarded based on the demonstrated need for security improvements.
 
To apply, visit portal.ct.gov/DEMHS/Grants/Nonprofit-Security-Grant-Program.
 
AnchorEversource reminds customers of payment assistance and protection programs available
 
With Connecticut’s state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic extended to April 20th, Eversource is reminding customers to enroll in one of its payment plans or assistance programs if they need help with their energy bill. Both residential and nonresidential customers are eligible for payment arrangements at this time and are encouraged to call the energy company at 800-286-2828 to learn more. Any residential customers experiencing difficulty paying their utility bill should contact Eversource’s call center to inquire about eligibility. Any customers ineligible for hardship status, including both residential and nonresidential customers, should ask about the COVID-19 Payment Program. 
 
Customers who’ve never needed assistance previously may not realize they qualify for protection from service disconnection and may also be eligible for other programs to reduce past due balances.  For example, a household of five with an annual income of approximately $84,000 meets the income-eligibility requirements. Eversource encourages all customers to contact the energy company at the number above or to check their eligibility on the state income-eligibility matrix - and find out if one of the energy company’s programs below could be beneficial to them.
 
Enrollment for the COVID-19 Payment Program for non-residential and residential customers is open until April 20, 2021.
 
Customers can learn more about payment programs and enroll online at Eversource.com/BillHelp. Information on energy efficiency  programs is available at www.energizect.com.
 
 
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.