LATEST DARIEN COVID-19 NEWS: Continual Updates: June 7 to 14

This week’s news and links on the COVID-19 pandemic for Darien, as they come in:

LATEST UPDATES: Governor’s Friday, Saturday Sunday COVID-19 briefings || State provides more career help, job-seeking services, work training || Governor’s Thursday COVID-19 briefing: Data on nursing home COVID-19 cases released

See also:

LATEST DARIEN COVID-19 NEWS: Continual Updates:

June 1 to 6 || May 25 to 31 || May 18 to 24 || May 11 to 17 || May 3 to 10 || April 27 to May 3 || April 20 to 26 || April 13 to 19 || April 5 to 12 || March 30 to April 5

SUNDAY: Governor’s COVID-19 Briefing

Sunday, June 14 — Gov. Ned Lamont provided the following updates as of 4 p.m.:

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 and click the link that is labeled, “COVID-19 Data Tracker.”

SATURDAY: Governor’s COVID-19 Briefing

Saturday, June 13 — Gov. Ned Lamont provided the following updates as of 3 p.m.: 

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 and click the link that is labeled, “COVID-19 Data Tracker.”

 

FRIDAY: Governor’s COVID-19 Briefing

Friday, June 12 — Gov. Ned Lamont provided the following updates as of 4 p.m.:

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 and click the link that is labeled, “COVID-19 Data Tracker.”

State Provides More Career Help, Job-Seeking Services, Work Training

Thursday, June 11 — An announcement from the Governor’s Office:

Gov. Ned Lamont today announced that as the state prepares to enter Phase 2 of its reopening efforts resulting from the global COVID-19 pandemic, he is launching a new resource – the CT Back to Work Initiative – that will provide workers and businesses in Connecticut with high-quality, user-friendly career tools to assist those who have been impacted by the economic fallout from the public health emergency.

To start, the state is partnering with several private-sector employment services, including the job search engine Indeed, and the workforce training providers Metrix Learning and 180 Skills.

“Whether you are a worker looking for a job, seeking to upgrade your career skills or change careers, or if you’re an employer looking to hire, this initiative will provide residents and businesses with helpful resources at no cost,” Lamont said.

“While this crisis has disrupted the lives of countless workers and businesses across the state, Connecticut is committed to offering meaningful and lasting support so that the state emerges from this crisis stronger than ever.”

All of the components of the initiative can be accessed online by visiting the State of Connecticut’s coronavirus website – ct.gov/coronavirus – and clicking the link labeled “CT Back to Work Initiative.”

It was developed by the Governor’s Workforce Council – the state’s workforce board, which Governor Lamont revamped late last year and tasked with recommending and overseeing improvements to Connecticut’s education and training ecosystem and pipeline so that all residents are able to access high-quality training and education that are aligned to the needs of businesses.

Custom Connecticut job portal from Indeed

The first component includes a custom jobs portal for Connecticut jobseekers and employers through Indeed. Connecticut is the first state in the nation to partner with Indeed to create a jobs portal that is customized for the state’s residents and companies.

This new portal complements the state’s current CTHires jobs portal by providing additional resources and opportunities to businesses and job seekers.

The state is also partnering with Indeed to host a virtual hiring event from June 16 to 18, during which companies hiring in Connecticut will host virtual interviews and meet and greet events. Nearly 40 employers from across the state are participating. In addition, Indeed is offering a free webinar on June 15 to help prep job seekers for virtual interviews.

“Connecticut has been a great home to Indeed and our employees for over 15 years, and we are happy to support the state and the economy in this time of need,” said Dave O’Neill, chief operating officer of Indeed and a member of the Governor’s Workforce Council.

“Our mission is to help people get to jobs, and our job services platform is uniquely situated to safely connect residents to hiring businesses – a critical function needed to get people back to work as the state begins its Phase 2 reopening.”

Free upskilling from Metrix Learning and 180 Skills

Another component includes online workforce training courses provided by Metrix Learning and 180 Skills.

In early May, Connecticut launched the SkillUp CT program, which provides Connecticut residents who have qualified for unemployment insurance with free access to more than 5,000 online courses offered by Metrix focused on information technology, business analysis, project management digital literacy, and other fields directly tied to the needs of Connecticut employers, as well as hundreds of skill tracks and a robust library of high-quality industry certification programs from featured employers such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.

To date, more than 9,000 people in the state have signed up for SkillUp CT services.

To expand SkillUp CT further, 180 Skills is adding its services to the program, giving those seeking workforce development services access to even more tools. Customized learning paths have been built for individuals interested in joining Connecticut’s manufacturing sector or improving their general employability skills.

Individuals who have filed for unemployment insurance are eligible for a 12-month 180 Skills license at no cost. While the program is initially only being offered to individuals who have filed for unemployment insurance, customized 180 Skills pathways will be available later in the summer to students at Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, as well as for upskilling current workers at manufacturing companies across the state.

“Connecticut already has one of the strongest, most innovative, and productive workforces in the country,” Lamont said. “These resources will not only help residents get back to work, but also return to the workforce armed with new skills and abilities that will help them advance in their careers, be more productive, and help our economy grow overall.

In addition to the Governor’s Workforce Council, the governor thanked the Connecticut Workforce Development Council, the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and its Tech Talent Fund, the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority, the Connecticut Department of Labor, and the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services for their efforts to build these career resources for Connecticut residents during this emergency crisis.

Garrett Moran, chair of the Governor’s Workforce Council, said: “Work as we know it is changing. We must set all job seekers up for success by equipping them with the most relevant and important skills sought by employers in Connecticut today.

“The Connecticut Department of Labor has already done a great job of offering career resources through its CTHires platform, and these new resources will add onto this strong foundation.

“Providing Connecticut with high-quality, outcome-based and market-driven training options is a top priority for Governor Lamont and the Governor’s Workforce Council. We will continue to refine our online offerings in the coming months and years. The CT Back to Work initiative is a terrific start.”

Kurt Westby, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Labor, said: “Over the past three months, the Labor Department has received nearly 610,000 unemployment applications — it’s clear people are hurting and need every resource we can provide to help them get back to work.

“These partnerships are vital connections between a talented workforce and the employers who need their skills. We applaud Governor Lamont and all of the organizations here whose commitment will help people improve skills, find jobs, and regain a sense of normalcy.”

Glendowlyn Thames, deputy commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, said: “Workforce development is a key pillar of an economic development strategy in any climate, and certainly even more critical during the global health and economic crisis we’re experiencing today.

“We know in order to get our economy growing again we need to provide our residents every opportunity to develop new skills for in-demand jobs that are available now and in the future. In partnership with the Governor’s Workforce Council, DECD views these investments as rapidly meeting the evolving needs of a new economy.”

• To access the CT Back to Work landing page, click here.
• To learn more about Indeed’s virtual hiring events in Connecticut, click here.

THURSDAY: Governor’s COVID-19 Briefing

Thursday, June 11 — Gov. Ned Lamont provided the following updates as of 6:30 p.m.:

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 and click the link that is labeled, “COVID-19 Data Tracker.”

Updated data on the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes and assisted living facilities

The following documents contain updated 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 nursing homes and assisted living facilities. This data is updated on a weekly basis.

WEDNESDAY: Governor’s COVID-19 Briefing

Wednesday, June 10 — Gov. Ned Lamont provided the following updates as of 5:30 p.m.:

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 and click the link that is labeled, “COVID-19 Data Tracker.”

Lamont signs 52^nd executive order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19

Lamont today signed another executive order – the 52^nd 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. 7YY enacts the following provisions:

• Resumption of court filing deadlines: Amends Executive Order No. 7G, Section 2 to provide that the suspension of requirements or deadlines related to Supreme or Appellate Court filings in cases pending before those courts to assist the Judicial Branch in its plans to resume more court business.
• Modifications to DMV functions: Makes several adjustments to the functions administered by the Department of Motor Vehicles to allow customers to conduct more business remotely and reduce the need for in-person visits to DMV branches and affiliates.
• Modifications to Executive Order No. 7E: Repeals Executive Order No. 7E, Section 2 effective June 15.

• [Darienite.com editor’s note: This last item, repealing Executive Order 7E, completely unexplained in this announcement, means police must take fingerprints for criminal history records checks. The text of the repealed paragraph is here:]

Image from the state website

This part of Executive Order 7E is being repealed as of June 15, the Governor’s Office said on Wednesday. The result restores the mandate of police to take fingerprints for criminal background checks.

 

PURA encourages eligible residents to access federal Lifeline Program to access affordable broadband and telephone services during COVID-19 crisis

In light of the continued financial difficulties attributable to the ongoing public health crisis, Connecticut’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) is reminding Connecticut residents that the federal Lifeline Program has available resources to support low-income customers experiencing connectivity issues with broadband and telephone services.

Administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company, the Lifeline Program is available to help eligible low-income customers gain access to more affordable broadband internet and phone services by offering monthly discounts on certain products. Benefits are limited to one per qualifying household. Residents are eligible for the Lifeline Program if one of the following criteria are met:

• Customer participates in certain federal benefits programs, such as Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Federal Public Housing or the Veterans Pension and Survivor’s Benefit; or
• Customer’s household income is at or below 135 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.

“During these unprecedented times, gaining and maintaining access to affordable broadband and telephone services is more important than ever to meet the challenges of telework, remote education, telemedicine, and generally staying connected,” PURA Chairman Marissa P. Gillett said. “As many Connecticut residents find themselves facing new economic challenges borne out of the COVID-19 crisis, PURA wants to raise awareness around this valuable Lifeline Program resource.”

LifelineSupport.org provides detailed information about how to apply for benefits, eligibility requirements, and other specifics of the program, including the recent relief offered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that relaxes qualifications around qualifying for the Lifeline Program and expands access to the Lifeline Program’s National Eligibility Verifier.

TUESDAY: Governor’s COVID-19 Briefing

Tuesday, June 9 — Gov. Ned Lamont provided the following updates as of 5:30 p.m.:

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 and click the link that is labeled, “COVID-19 Data Tracker.”

Lamont notifies legislative leaders that he intends to call a special session

Lamont today sent a letter to the bipartisan leadership of the Connecticut General Assembly notifying them of his intention to call the Legislature into a special session to resolve the issue of absentee ballots in the November general election and to take immediate action on police accountability and transparency in the wake of the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month.

The governor has directed his chief of staff, Paul Mounds, Jr., to commence discussions with each of the leaders on the details of proposed legislation on those topics.

State reaches resolution on access to visitation for persons with disabilities in health care facilities during COVID-19 pandemic

The Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today announced that it has reached an early case resolution with the State of Connecticut regarding visitation policies for persons with disabilities in short-term hospitals, outpatient clinics, and outpatient surgical facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of the resolution, the Connecticut Department of Public Health today released an order ensuring that people with disabilities have reasonable access to support personnel in hospital settings in a manner that is consistent with disability rights laws and the health and safety of patients, health care providers, and support persons.

The order includes establishing a statewide policy requiring hospitals and other acute care settings to permit the entrance of a designated support person for a patient with a disability and permitting family members, service providers, or other individuals knowledgeable about the needs of the person with a disability to serve as a designated support person.

Where patients with a disability are in such a setting for longer than one day, they may designate two support persons, provided only one is present at a time.

“As vulnerable populations around the state continue to be disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a priority for my office and the state to come to a resolution on allowing a support person to accompany and advocate for individuals with disabilities into our hospitals,” Lamont said.

“The order issued by Commissioner Gifford implements vital safeguards for individuals with special needs to ensure proper and safe care is being provided and received in a hospital setting.”

Jordan A. Scheff, commissioner of the Department of Developmental Services, said, “I am pleased to have worked with the Governor’s Office, the Department of Public Health, and the HHS Office for Civil Rights to issue the DPH order that protects the rights of individuals with disabilities and facilitates a process to allow every voice, even in a hospital setting, to be heard.”

• For more information, read the press release that was issued today by the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

MONDAY: Governor’s COVID-19 Briefing

Monday, June 8 — Gov. Ned Lamont provided the following updates as of 5:30 p.m.:

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 and click the link that is labeled, “COVID-19 Data Tracker.”

Connecticut’s river ferries to resume operations June 20

The Connecticut Department of Transportation today announced that the state’s two ferries that provide service across the Connecticut River – one between Rocky Hill and Glastonbury and the other between Chester and Hadlyme – will resume operations beginning Saturday, June 20, 2020. Typically, the ferries begin operating April 1, however that was delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Chester-Hadlyme Ferry will operate between 7 a.m. and 6:45 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and between 10:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry will operate between 7 a.m. and 6:45 p.m. on Tuesdays through Fridays, and between 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

The Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry is the oldest continuously operated ferry service in the country, having started service in 1655.

For more information, read the press release issued today by the Department of Transportation.

Governor Orders Review of Nursing Homes’ Preparation and Response to Pandemic

Monday, June 8 — Gov. Ned Lamont today announced that he is ordering an independent, third-party review to be conducted of the preparation and response to the COVID-19 pandemic inside of Connecticut’s nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

The review will incorporate a top-to-bottom analysis of all elements of the pandemic and how it was addressed in these facilities, which were disproportionately impacted by the virus. The governor said he wants the analysis completed before the start of autumn in order to prepare for a potential second wave of the virus.

“Our state took proactive and innovative steps to address the outbreak in our long-term care facilities, but we must take steps to better understand how prepared the system was, and then review the steps that were taken once the virus was clearly present across the state,” Lamont said.

“As we prepare for the possibility of a second wave, we must be proactive in analyzing what occurred, what needs to be improved, and how we can ensure the quality and safety of facilities that some of our most vulnerable residents call home.”

The Lamont administration will soon solicit proposals from third-party experts to conduct the review. Before it begins, the administration plans to collaborate with legislative leaders to develop a scope that ensures the review provides the state with meaningful information that can best improve the safety of patients and staff in these facilities.

The awarded independent expert will be directed to work widely across state government and include input from the legislative and executive branches, as well as key stakeholders, such as the operators of long-term care facilities, the unions that represent the staff who work in these facilities, patients, health experts, and others.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on all elements of Connecticut’s health care infrastructure, but no sector had more direct and tragic consequences than the nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

• To date, Connecticut’s nursing homes have experienced over 2,500 resident deaths and more than 8,500 cases in a population of just over 21,000. More than 60 percent of total deaths in Connecticut have been among residents of nursing homes.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health, under the direction of Governor Lamont, took several aggressive steps to contain these outbreaks, including:

• Becoming one of the first states to discontinue visitation in early March;
• Establishing dedicated COVID-recovery facilities to prevent COVID-positive patients from re-entering nursing homes;
• Greatly enhancing inspection and monitoring of infection control practices by leveraging the Connecticut National Guard;
• Delivering millions of units of personal protective equipment (PPE) through the state’s mutual aid program;
• Providing a $125 million financial aid package for nursing homes to support staff payment, infection control, PPE costs, and other pandemic-related expenses; and
• Establishing a new category of worker, the Temporary Nurse Aide, to assist with staffing shortages.

In May and June, Connecticut facilitated testing of every nursing home resident who had not previously tested positive. Governor Lamont also signed an executive order requiring the staff at all nursing homes, managed residential communities, and assisted living facilities to be tested for COVID-19 every week for the duration of the public health and civil preparedness emergency.

“We must take this opportunity to learn from the pandemic and the experience of our nursing homes to ensure we are using the best available science and quality improvement techniques to protect these residents,” Dr. Deidre Gifford, acting commissioner of the Department of Public Health, said.

“We must study the epidemiology, protocols, staffing, and overall preparedness of all our facilities to provide clarity and understanding of what happened over the course of this pandemic,” Gifford said.

The solicitation of proposals for an outside expert to conduct the review will be released in the next several days.

State Settles ACLU Lawsuit Regarding Prisons’ Response to COVID-19

Sunday, June 7 — Gov. Ned Lamont, Attorney General William Tong, and Department of Correction Commissioner Rollin Cook today released the following statements regarding a settlement agreement reached with the ACLU of Connecticut to resolve a lawsuit regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the state’s correctional facilities:

SEE ALSO:

• “ACLU And Connecticut Settle COVID-19 Prison Lawsuit” (CT Public Radio, June 8)
• “Settlement Reached in Federal Lawsuit About Conditions in Conn. Prisons During COVID-19” (NBC Connecticut, June 7)
• “ACLU, State Reach Settlement Over COVID-19 Protections in State Prisons” (Hartford Courant, June 7)

Lamont said, “This settlement affirms the approach that the Department of Correction has been taking since the beginning of this pandemic. The department will continue to act in this responsible manner as identified by the court and by this settlement.”

Attorney General Tong said, “We are pleased the parties were able to work together to resolve these difficult issues collaboratively and with the best interests of all involved.”

Commissioner Cook said: “I am pleased about the agreement. Both parties came to the table with mutual interest in codifying practices that best protect people who are incarcerated and the dedicated employees that care for them. Unity and collaboration will always prevail.

“Today is an example of that. This has been an unprecedented time in our country and I am most proud of how our staff and leaders have selflessly performed their essential duties to ensure the health and safety of those entrusted to our care.

“Their courageous efforts have saved lives and positively impacted our entire community. In fact, I believe Connecticut will be viewed as the balanced, compassionate and collaborative example to follow during such crisis in the future.”

The agreement is pending approval from a federal judge.

Governor Releases Specific Rules for Phase 2 Business Reopening

SUNDAY Governor’s COVID-19 Briefing

Sunday, June 7 — Gov. Ned Lamont provided the following updates as of 4 p.m.: