Governor Ned Lamont reached out on Sunday to parents of school age children to submit questions for a Monday morning forum, and is also putting out the call for more volunteers to fortify responses to community needs as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic drag on.

The governor has also issued congratulatory wishes to the state's college graduates as virtually all public ceremonies were canceled.

As of May 8, a total of 32,984 cases of COVID-19 have been reported among Connecticut residents. There were 1,301 patients are currently hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, and there have been 2,932 COVID-19-associated deaths.

Newtown has logged 142 residents testing positive since the virus first hit the community — about half who have since recovered — and has lost 14 to the virus.

Lamont said Sunday that members of the Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group will hold a roundtable discussion on Monday, May 11, at 11 am, regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the state’s education system and its ability to reopen.

Members of the public who have questions for the group regarding the impact of COVID-19 on schools can e-mail their inquiries to reopen@ct.gov.

The discussion will be broadcast live by the Connecticut Network (CT-N) and available to watch on its cable television channel and through a live stream on CT-N.com.

Those participating in the roundtable will include:

Moderator Mark Ojakian, president, Connecticut State Colleges and Universities; Dr Joanne Berger-Sweeney, president, Trinity College (CCIC Chair); Beth Bye, Early Childhood Commissioner; Miguel Cardona, Education Commissioner; Dr Matt Cartter, Department of Public Health State Epidemiologist; and Jan Hochadel, President of AFT Connecticut.

Also Thomas Katsouleas, President of UConn; Rick Levin, former president, Yale; Glenn Lungarini, Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference; Fran Rabinowitz, Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents; Rob Rader, Connecticut Association of Boards of Education; and Don Williams, Executive Director of CEA.

The Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group is a panel of local health, business, workforce, and education experts who are consulting with the Lamont administration and legislative leadership on the reopening of Connecticut’s economy and education system as the nation emerges from the unprecedented public health emergency caused by COVID-19.

The group is providing Lamont with recommendations, which the governor is using to inform his decisions on the reopening of the state.

Volunteers Still Needed

Also on Sunday, Lamont said that the State of Connecticut and its nonprofit partners are continuing to seek volunteers willing to help communities respond to the COVID-19 crisis.

The state’s volunteer recruitment effort is being expanded to bolster the ranks of volunteers needed at nonprofits that offer support to children and adults in programs for intellectual disabilities and behavioral health settings, as well as organizations that support senior citizens.

To date, more than 5,000 medical volunteers and 1,600 non-medical volunteers have come forward to assist Connecticut’s hospitals and health systems, and also provide support to nonprofits that provide essential human services.

Volunteers have helped distribute food with food banks, provided support for those experiencing homelessness in shelters across the state, and delivered meals to homebound senior citizens in communities across Connecticut.

Lamont said that he is grateful for everyone who has stepped up to volunteer their assistance. He also expressed his gratitude to the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD), which has made the Disaster Assistance Response Technology database available to help manage the statewide volunteer recruitment effort for this emergency.

“Connecticut residents and businesses have been incredibly generous in offering to do what they can to meet the needs of our state at this challenging time,” Lamont said. “The volunteers who have come forward have been a tremendous help to our hospitals, and to critically important services at our food banks, meal delivery services, and shelters. I’m grateful to everyone who is stepping forward — and I ask that you keep pitching in, and invite others to join you so that we can meet the needs of our neighbors and communities over the coming weeks and months.”

How to volunteer:

*Anyone interested in volunteering to help their communities in this effort can sign up by visiting ct.gov/coronavirus and clicking the Volunteers link. Those interested will be matched with a community provider in need based on their personal interests and abilities.

*Volunteers must be 18 or older, and should not volunteer if at risk or compromised. Those who are immunocompromised, over 60, showing symptoms of COVID-19, or live with or care for someone in any of those categories should avoid being in public, including for volunteer efforts.

*Volunteers do not need to be healthcare workers. In addition to calling on physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals who may be retired, the state needs community members to help at food banks, do food deliveries to the elderly, and at shelters in a number of ways.

*For those who do have a background in health care, the state’s medical community has specific needs at this time. Hospitals have advised the state that they have a high need for critical care nurses and respiratory therapists.

*Every effort is being made to keep volunteers safe. The state and all of the organizations involved are working hard to make sure that everyone helping out can do so as safely as possible. If any volunteers have concerns, they are strongly urged to ask about the safety protocols of the organization for which they are volunteering.

*Volunteers will be sent where they are most needed and feel most comfortable. The volunteer process is centralized so that the state and participating organizations have a clear picture of everyone who can help, and everything that is needed. That way, volunteers can be matched with an opportunity that is most in need of that person’s skill set.

Congrats To Connecticut's Grads

As graduates of Connecticut’s higher education institutions prepare to move onto the next phase of their lives without having the ability to attend in-person graduation ceremonies due to the fallout of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Lamont and several state and higher education officials are taking an opportunity to congratulate and offer their best wishes to those who are finishing their time in college.

Governor Lamont said, “I want to say congratulations — and extend my deepest gratitude to the class of 2020. These students are doing something that none of us alive have done before: graduating college during a global pandemic, and supporting their state in the process. I am incredibly proud of the work these students have done, and look forward to seeing more of their contributions to our great state, and our country.”

In a letter being included in graduation kits to state colleges and universities, the governor related:

"I congratulate you for the hard work and long hours you have put in to earn your degree. It is a great accomplishment, and you should be proud. I have no doubt that it is painful to be denied the opportunity to celebrate your Commencement together. This is a challenging time for our nation and state, and the impact on us all is profound.

"Please know that we will get through this. We will move forward together to the bright future we share in this great state and nation," he continued.

"As you prepare for your path ahead, I will be thinking of you with pride, admiration, and great optimism for your future. It is my strong hope that you will remain here in Connecticut and help us build the next chapter of this great state. I thank you in advance for the contributions I know you will make to your community, your state, and your country," the governor's statement concluded.

Anyone in crisis or facing issues making ends meet or experiencing stress or anxiety can also call the 211 infoline or consult its companion website 211ct.org.

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

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 Newtown’s own COVID-19 web page, at newtown-ct.gov.

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

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