I am sad to inform you that Chester has its first positively identified case of COVID-19. Of course we all know that there are more cases in town, either asymptomatic or with mild symptoms. This tested case is a woman in the forties who is recovering in isolation t=at home. We believe this is a travel related case, as she was in Great Britain until a couple of weeks ago, We wish her a speedy and full recovery.
DO NOT GET ALLOW YOURSELF TO GET DISCOURAGED
WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS!
(With grace and courage, as usual, sprinkled liberallu\y with humor and generosity)
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MORTGAGE RELIEF PROGRAM ANNOUNCED
Governor Lamont reaches agreement with banks and credit unions to provide mortgage payment relief.
Governor Lamont today
announced
that his administration has reached an agreement with over 50 credit unions and banks in Connecticut to offer mortgage relief to the state’s residents and businesses who continue to face hardship caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Under the agreement, the following relief policies are being offered by participating financial institutions:
- 90-day grace period for all mortgage payments: Participating financial institutions are now offering mortgage-payment forbearances of up to 90 days, which will allow homeowners to reduce or delay monthly mortgage payments. In addition, the institutions will:
- Provide a streamlined process for requesting forbearance for COVID-19-related reasons, supported with available documentation;
- Confirm approval and terms of forbearance program; and
- Provide the opportunity to extend forbearance agreements if faced with continued hardship resulting from COVID-19.
- Relief from fees and charges for 90 days: For at least 90 days, participating financial institutions will waive or refund mortgage-related late fees and other fees including early CD withdrawals.
- No new foreclosures for 60 days: Financial institutions will not start any foreclosure sales or evictions.
- No credit score changes for accessing relief: For those taking advantage of this COVID-19-related relief, late or missed payments will not be shared with credit reporting agencies.
The agreement, which was negotiated on behalf of the Lamont administration by Commissioner Jorge Perez at the Connecticut Department of Banking, builds upon similar initiatives that have been enacted in recent days in California and New Jersey, and has been endorsed by the Connecticut Bankers Association and the Credit Union League of Connecticut. More than 50 credit unions and banks statewide are participating, including Webster Bank, American Eagle Financial Credit Union, Liberty Bank, Charter Oak Federal Credit Union, Bank of America, Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union, and Peoples United Bank. Additional financial institutions are expected to join the initiative in the coming days. The Department of Banking will maintain updated list of participating institutions
on its website
.
CDC Travel Advisory
This weekend, several conflicting reports arose concerning a potential quarantine of states including Connecticut. The travel advisory in Connecticut has not changed since Governor Lamont enacted “Stay Home, Stay Safe” on March 20. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued similar language on Saturday. Connecticut residents are asked to continue to avoid non-essential travel and to self-quarantine themselves for 14 days after traveling or crossing state borders as part of an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.
