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 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, 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. Regardless, hospitalizations Cases are still up, as are deaths overall. From Governor Lamont:

“For the second straight day, the number of people hospitalized in Connecticut due to complications caused by COVID-19 has slightly decreased, another step in the right direction and another sign that the efforts we’ve been taking as a community are having an impact on slowing the outbreak,” Governor Lamont said. “Whether this continues is dependent upon on the actions each of us takes over the next several days and weeks. This isn’t over – we lost another 41 Connecticut residents, and we mourn for their lives. Together, we can have an impact on flattening the curve, but if people tell you the pandemic has ended – they are wrong.”

Cloth Face Coverings or Masks:
  • Wearing of cloth face coverings or masks in public places is required wherever close contact with others is unavoidable. This order is effective as of tonight at 8:00pm Executive Order 7BB, 
  • CDC: How to Wear a Cloth Face Covering Cloth face coverings can be made at home using cotton fabric, bandana or a t-shirt. 
  • Purchase cloth face coverings and masks from local stores or online retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Staples, or WB Mason. Many online retailers offer face coverings and masks in various colors, patterns, and sizes. www.antidotegear.comis a company in Danbury, CT and www.shopvida.com also sells replacement filters for their masks. 
  • Essential employees are required to wear masks in the workplace.   Safe Workplace Rules for Essential Employers
 
 
Drive-thru COVID-19 Testing:
  • CVS HEALTH opened a drive-thru test site on Friday, April 17, 2020 at 60 Sargent Drive, New Haven, CT.
  • Eligible Individuals who meet CDC criteria must pre-register in advance on-line at CVS.com
  • Results are received within 15-30 minutes.
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 
  • Yale-New Haven Health offers drive-thru testing but you must have an order from your healthcare provider to receive the test. 
  • Hartford HealthCare offers drive-thru testing but you must have a referral through the Hartford HealthCare Clinical Command Center. Call 860-972-8100 or toll-free 833-621-0600

Connecticut's Presidential Primary Election Rescheduled to August 11.  Click Here

State Launches "Talk it Out" Hotline for Families & Caregivers to Relieve Stress . Call 1-833-258-5011 or  Click Here
 
New Assistance Program To Help Taxpayers Subject to Current Department of Revenue Services Collections Matters.  Click Here 

Financial Aid Expanded for Connecticut's Nursing Homes Amid Covid-19 Pandemic.  Click Here


LATEST COVID-19 FACTS

MEWS+ presents 
"Readying for Recovery: Resources for Middlesex County Businesses"

Tuesday, April 21, 2020
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Join The MEWS+ Entrepreneurial Community as we host the leadership team from The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce  to learn about the many local, state, and federal resources developed to help small businesses navigate and recover from the health and economic crisis. President Larry McHugh, Vice President Johanna Bond, and Vice President Jeff Pugliese will share information on:
 
  • Chamber webinars with Senator Blumenthal, Congressman Joe Courtney, and SBDC Counselor Jim Jackson;
  • How the CARES Act provisions - PPP, EIDL, and Tax Credits - apply to small business owners and startups
  • The Chamber’s Coronavirus Tool Kit;
  • SHOUT IT OUT campaign;
  • Community partners and local resources; and
  • Recovery fund opportunities.

Register in advance for this webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. 




GET THE "HOW WE FEEL" APP

Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the State of Connecticut is partnering with the developers of the How We Feel app in an effort to anonymously provide scientists with critical health information needed to understand the spread of COVID-19. Available to download for free in the  Apple App Store  and the  Google Play store , it is supported by a nonprofit organization and does not require logging in or the sharing of any personal details, such as name or email address. In addition to being available to download to mobile devices, users can also complete the survey through a web version available at  howwefeel.app .

The How We Feel app was developed by leading health experts from several institutions, including Harvard University, MIT, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Weizmann Institute of Science. It was created in response to the need for health officials and doctors to obtain more information on COVID-19 in the face of widespread testing shortages. It only takes users about 30 seconds each day to report any symptoms they may be experiencing, and the information shared has the potential to reveal outbreak hotspots and provide insight into the progression of COVID-19.

People in Connecticut – whether they are healthy or sick – can help this research by using the app and self-reporting their daily symptoms through a series of short prompts about how they’re feeling, and share that data with scientists in real time. Aggregate data is securely shared with leading medical institutions so scientists and public health professionals can better spot emerging outbreaks early, identify new populations who are at risks, and measure the efficacy of public health measures such as social distancing.

Getting this data to the medical community as quickly as possible enables them to make faster decisions to help slow or contain the virus. When they have a better idea of who is sick, how sick they are, and where they are, there’s the potential to increase testing, deploy additional resources, and ultimately save lives.


Thank you for looking out for one another and taking the public health guidance and the governor's orders seriously. We are, as always here to support each other and will get through this pandemic together. 

Be well,

Lauren