COVID-19 Updates 5/8

May 8, 2020

I hope you are continuing to stay strong because we will get through this together. Here is the latest on COVID-19 data, resources, and words of encouragement from local, national, and world leaders.
Local and National Data Updates
(Latest Data as of 4:00PM on Friday, May 8, 2020)
 
  Confirmed Cases    Deaths    Tests Completed
Worldwide 3.9 Million 272,290  
U.S. 1.31 Million 77,486 8.4 Million
Connecticut   32,411 2,874 120,541
Waterbury 1,489  129  

For several additional charts and tables containing more data groups, including a town-by-town breakdown of positive cases in each municipality and a breakdown of cases and deaths among age groups, click here.

Positivity for the Future

"Though the legislative session had to be abruptly suspended almost two months ago due to the current public health crisis, and constitutionally ended today, during this time every legislator refocused from passing bills to improve the quality of life in our beloved state to helping residents stay safe, informed, and access the network of services so desperately needed to protect themselves and their families. Constituent service is at the heart of public service, and that type of personal representation doesn't stop today. We do intend to hold a brief special session in the near future when it is safe to do so in order to act upon any legislation necessary to keep our residents safe and ensure our state government continues to meet its responsibilities to the public." - Speaker of the House  Joe Aresimowicz

"Going forward we will continue to focus on getting Connecticut residents back to work so we can all contribute to rebuilding our economy and the financial security of our families." - State Rep. Jason Rojas
Reopen CT Barber Shops and Hair Salons - Discussion

We have had many questions about hair and nail salons and how they can open safely. Friday's discussion will focus on these topics, addressing the Barbering and Cosmetology industries. The Town Hall will host community and industry leaders on their work with key agencies to reopen in a way that ensures, in every way possible, the safety of the owner/worker, their clients, and the general public. Join the Facebook event here.

Governor Lamont outlines criteria for Phase 1 of reopening

During his daily news briefing yesterday afternoon, Governor Lamont announced that his administration is utilizing seven criteria in its consideration for Phase 1 of Connecticut’s reopening efforts.

Here are some things to remember:

  1. Self-employed individuals MUST file for state benefits first, and be denied. Denied means receiving a UC-58 in the mail. If the filed on Saturday, or more recently, the DOL has not processed it yet.
  2. If they believe they received a UC-58, but do not have it anymore/can’t find it; that’s OK they can still file.
  3. They can then hit the red button. Here is what happens next:
    1. They click “Instructions and File PUA” in the Quick Links box
    2. That will take them to the instructions. They should read these….
    3. They will then need to go to the Connecticut Tax and Benefits System set-up an account, and determine how they would like to be paid. They will get their money quicker if they choose direct deposit. If they chose debit card, it can take 10 days to several weeks for them to get the card.
    4. After that, they can keep moving down that instructions page and click “Continue” at the bottom.
    5. They should then read the next page, and at the bottom click “Proceed to ReemployCT”
    6. They will need to create an account, and then they can file.
  4. If the person is 100% sure that they got a UC-58, but when they file their PUA claim it says “Regular Unemployment Benefits claim not found," please respond to this email and we will forward it on to the DOL.

The DOL is verifying tax information with DRS. In the meantime, individuals will receive the minimum ($198) plus $600. Once DRS verifies how much the self-employed individual earned, they will adjust the benefit and that will be retroactive.