Governor Lamont Provides Update on Connecticut’s Coronavirus Response Efforts

(HARTFORD, CT) – As the State of Connecticut continues taking actions in response to the global spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Governor Ned Lamont provided the following updates as of 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2, 2020:

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.

County-by-county breakdown:

For several additional graphs and tables containing more data, including a list of cases in every municipality, visit ct.gov/coronavirus.

Governor Lamont signs 49^th executive order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19

Governor Lamont today signed another executive order – the 49^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. 7VV enacts the following provisions:

• Amended limitation on program sizes in child care: Modifies the number of children that a child care program can serve during the civil preparedness and public health emergency from 30 to 50 without needing to obtain approval from the Office of Early Childhood. Any facility caring for more than 50 children will need to obtain approval.

FEMA approves funding for crisis counseling in Connecticut

Governor Lamont today announced that the State of Connecticut has received approval from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide crisis counseling to those who have been impacted by COVID-19. This program will be administered by the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services in cooperation with the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. A federal grant of $669,404 will be utilized by the state to provide the following services:

• Crisis counseling to persons experiencing homelessness who are in shelters, hotels, and in the community, as well as staff in these facilities;
• Crisis counseling to senior citizens in congregate care settings and the community; and
• Enhancement of crisis counseling call-line services provided through United Way 2-1-1.

The funding will also be used to develop a statewide advertising and media campaign, including social media outreach for the purpose of linking victim families to needed resources, as well as provide psychological first aid support and stress management tips.

Additional emergency SNAP benefits being delivered June 18 to more than 108,000 households in Connecticut

The Connecticut Department of Social Services today announced that it will provide $16.3 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to nearly half of Connecticut’s SNAP participants on Friday, June 12, 2020. This is in addition to the $50.2 million in emergency benefits disbursed in April and May.

Authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, the extra food benefits will go to more than 108,000 households in the state that are not currently receiving the maximum benefits allowed for their household size. This means that all households in 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 more than 108,000 of the 222,000 households enrolled in SNAP in Connecticut will receive the emergency benefits in June.
• With this additional $16.3 million allocation, emergency SNAP benefits are totaling over $66.5 million in additional assistance statewide during April, May, and June, with commensurate spending in the food economy.
• The average emergency benefit amount a household will see on its electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card on June 12 is $150.
• All participating households will also receive their normal SNAP benefits on the first three days of each month as they normally do, according to last name.

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

(Each additional person: add $146)

For example, if a household of two would normally receive $255 of SNAP benefits in June, $100 would bring this household up to the maximum benefit for its size. This household would receive a $100 emergency benefit on June 12.

Governor Lamont encourages residents to sign up for the state’s CTAlert notification system

Governor Lamont is encouraging Connecticut residents to sign up for CTAlert, the state’s emergency alert system, which provides text message notifications to users. To subscribe, text the keyword COVIDCT to 888-777.

Providing information to Connecticut residents

For the most up-to-date information from the State of Connecticut on COVID-19, including an FAQ and other guidance and resources, residents are encouraged to visit ct.gov/coronavirus.

Individuals who have general questions that are not answered on the website can also call 2-1-1 for assistance. The hotline is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance. Relay services can be accessed by calling 7-1-1. Anyone who is out-of-state or using Relay can connect to Connecticut 2-1-1 toll free by dialing 1-800-203-1234. The hotline 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.