First Selectman Dan Rosenthal and Health District Director Donna Culbert released the next in a series of video outreach messages Friday, April 17, which are produced in partnership with The Newtown Bee.

The two local officials took a few minutes to talk about the recently reported COVID-19 related deaths in town, a promised executive order mandating masks and face coverings, and addressed voices in the Newtown community calling for a reopening of local businesses.

View the latest video below:

Culbert said she currently is monitoring 66 active coronavirus cases in Newtown and has been notified of three deaths of local residents who were diagnosed with COVID-related illnesses. She is also overseeing four cases in Roxbury and five in Bridgewater — both of which are Newtown district towns — and at least one death in Roxbury.

During his daily press briefing, Governor Ned Lamont called for a moment of prayer recognizing a grim milestone as COVID deaths in Connecticut surpassed the 1,000 mark.

As of April 17, a total of 16,809 laboratory-confirmed active cases have been reported in Connecticut with 1,946 patients currently hospitalized, and 1,036 COVID-19-associated deaths.

Fairfield County is up to 7,146 cases and 425 dead, and New Haven County has reported 4,520 active cases and 229 deaths. Hartford County is also escalating rapidly with 3,015 active cases and 266 dead

Conversely, rural Windham County is reporting only 92 cases and two fatalities.

While Connecticut's active case count is up 925 since Thursday, the governor's office is saying hospitalizations are up by only 20.

DCF & DMHAS Outreach

Lamont welcomed two new voices to his daily press briefings: state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) Commissioner Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, PhD, and Department of Children and Families (DCF) Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes.

Dr Delphin-Rittmon talked about the growing propensity for state residents to feel anxiety and stress about the coronavirus situation, and the extraordinary pressure it is putting on those already diagnosed with or suffering from an existing anxiety condition.

She said being disconnected brings up guilt or stress, and helps exacerbate past traumas. She is also hearing about folks experiencing increased reliance on alcohol and drugs, those experiencing trouble sleeping, and overeating.

"There's even a lot of worry about one's own health and how this virus might impact loved ones and friends," Dr Delphin-Rittmon said.

To help, her department has established a one-stop website providing a range of resources including coping strategies and links to resources like support lines for young adults run by young adults, support for family members, and those in recovery.

The site will also supply links to online virtual groups.

"Being able to participate and share feelings is valuable," she said, adding that organizations including NAMI, AA, and Advocacy Unlimited are stepping up with frequent virtual support groups and meetings.

"Learn not to feel stress alone — there is support and people you can connect with," Dr Delphin-Rittmon said.

Link to the DMHAS resouce page by CLICKING HERE

Commissioner Dorantes spoke more briefly, but promoted a public service campaign that DCF has launched reminding families in Connecticut undergoing stressful interactions resulting from extended close proximity to "talk it out."

"When it builds up, talk it out," she said. "We believe in community, so we've tapped our community providers and they are responding to support our families."

State And Federal News

The board of directors of the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA) voted at its April 15 meeting to replace their typical three grant cycles (client, nonprofit, and targeted) for FY 2021 to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The FY 2021 CHEFA COVID-19 Grant Program will focus on funding statewide efforts that are currently, or plan to be, launched by 501c3 Connecticut nonprofit entities within the next few months to respond to the crisis.

The efforts can be focused on statewide programs to support Connecticut communities and residents or can be sector specific statewide funds focused on one or more of CHEFA’s four core priority areas of health care, education, child care, and cultural.

Organizations seeking details may contact Betty Sugarman Weintraub, CHEFA Grant Program Manager, at 860-761-8428 or bweintraub@chefa.com.

In Washington on Friday, Connecticut's Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal joined 30 of their colleagues in a letter led by Senator Joe Manchin (D-WVa) in advocating for state, local, and tribal governments to receive dedicated, flexible funding in the next COVID-19 emergency funding package.

While Connecticut has received $1.3 billion for state and local governments to support their COVID-19 pandemic response, state and local governments need more flexible, dedicated funding in the next emergency funding package, according to a Senate release.

The Senators said in part, “On behalf of our state, local, and tribal governments, it is essential that you include robust, dedicated, and flexible funding to all units of state and local government in the next interim emergency coronavirus package to support their ongoing efforts in the fight against this pandemic.

"Not only are these public servants on the front line of the immediate response effort, they are also major employers navigating unprecedented declines in revenue just as the need for their services hits an all-time high," the letter continues. "We can and we must work together to get this essential funding to our local partners as quickly as possible.”

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 211 for assistance. The hotline and corresponding website is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance and TDD/TTY access.

The Newtown Bee is continuing to provide and mirror information and messages coming from local and state agencies on a daily and sometimes hourly basis. Newtown residents can get more details by visiting:

*Town of Newtown COVID-19 web page: CLICK HERE

*Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: CLICK HERE

Residents can also review all prior COVID-19 updates and follow the newspaper’s Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages for breaking local and state reports.

Please check in regularly, share, and follow the newspaper’s hyperlocal coverage at newtownbee.com through the remainder of this public health emergency.