As coronavirus cases in Connecticut neared 46,000 on June 24, resulting in nearly 4,300 deaths across the state, American hospital officials and health experts warned that politicians focusing on the economy and a public tired of being cooped up are letting a deadly medical disaster spiral to new heights.

The 34,700 COVID-19 cases reported just one day earlier returned the nation to near its late-April peak of 36,400 new cases in one day, according to a count kept by Johns Hopkins University.

Several states set single-day case records this week, including Arizona, California, Mississippi, Nevada, Texas, and Oklahoma. Some of those also broke hospitalization records, as did North Carolina and South Carolina.

The virus has been blamed for more than 120,000 US deaths — the highest toll in the world — and more than 2.3 million confirmed infections nationwide. On Wednesday, the widely cited University of Washington computer model of the outbreak projected nearly 180,000 US deaths by October 1.

The latest information from the state relating to Newtown shows the community has tallied 236 confirmed or probable cases and 42 deaths.

With its proximity to New York, Fairfield County still leads the state with 16,527 positive or probable cases and 1,370 deaths. A June 24 report noted that 400,391 COVID-19 test results had been logged statewide.

That morning Governor Ned Lamont joined New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy to announce that their states, which were devastated by early outbreaks that now appear to be under control, will now require travelers from certain states to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.

The quarantine applies to people coming from states with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents on a seven-day average, or with a ten percent or higher positive rate over seven days.

According to a June 24 advisory from Newtown State Rep Mitch Bolinsky, the list of states with high rates of infection includes Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah. The list is available on the state’s coronavirus website — portal.ct.gov/coronavirus — and updated on an ongoing basis.

In a separate briefing for Connecticut reporters, Lamont and the acting public health commissioner, Dr Diedre Gifford, said the tri-state area will issue weekly lists of states covered by the new travel rules, which will be largely self-enforced. But there are differences in the states’ approaches, with Cuomo threatening fines on violators and Lamont emphasizing education and public pressure.

“Right now, it’s going to be voluntary,” Lamont said. “Right now, you are going to be clearly notified that you must quarantine if you haven’t tested negative within, say, 72 hours. And you’re going to be notified of that in strict terms. And hotels will notify you of that before.”

If that does not work, the state will “consider some stricter measures for enforcement,” Lamont said.

Connecticut is one of only four states in the nation that are on track to contain COVID-19, according to a study by Covid Act Now. The organization is highlighting the state’s steadily decreasing rate of cases, while also stating that its preparedness efforts “meets or exceeds international standards.”

The other states identified as on track to contain COVID-19, all in the northeast, are New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.

“Our numbers have been pretty static so I just hope people keep doing what they’re doing — including those who are affected by the state’s new travel advisory,” said Newtown Health District Director Donna Culbert.

Latest Executive Order

On June 24, Lamont signed Executive Order No. 7BBB enacting the following provisions:

Safety advisory regarding travel from states with high infection rates: Requires the commissioner of the Department of Public Health to issue a travel advisory for self-quarantine of people who arrive in Connecticut from states with significant community spread of COVID-19.

Amended deadline for candidates to withdraw from presidential primary: Moves up the deadline by which presidential candidates need to request that their name be removed from the ballot for the August 11 primary, and moves up the date for the Secretary of the State to choose by lottery the order of names on the presidential primary ballot. This will allow the secretary to finalize preparations and for election officials to order public ballots sooner.

Accelerated date to finalize order of names on presidential primary ballot: Moves up the date by which the Secretary of the State is required to determine by lot the order in which names of candidates will appear on the ballot for the 2020 presidential preference primary.

Temporary commercial pesticide junior operator certification: Allows the commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to issue temporary certifications for commercial junior pesticide operators before candidates have completed the examination, and defer the fees until a permanent certification is issued.

Authority to modify enhanced health procedures in child care and day camps: Authorizes the commissioner of the Office of Early Childhood to modify the enhanced health procedures required in child care facilities and day camps in order to permit the safe provision of adequate child care services while protecting children, staff, and their families from transmission of COVID-19.

View the entire list of Connecticut Executive Orders by CLICKING HERE

On Tuesday, the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles reopened select offices for in-person services; however, customers are required to make appointments in advance. Appointments can be made for new licenses and IDs, license and ID renewals, out-of-state license and registration transfers, and CDL upgrades.

Those appointments can be made online at the DMV’s website by visiting ct.gov/dmv.

In addition, road testing resumed this week. Customers whose appointments had previously been canceled due to the pandemic are being contacted to reschedule new appointments. So far, approximately 1,000 road tests have been rescheduled through June 30.

The department is also reminding Connecticut residents that many DMV transactions can be completed online and do not require an in-person visit. Some of the online services offered include registration renewals, registration cancellations, payment of emission test late fees, and more.

Missing Out On Benefits?

On Monday, Lamont announced his support for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program and its statewide expansion. The program provides free help for Connecticut’s low-income and ALICE families (an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) to file tax returns, allowing them to receive tax credits and coronavirus economic impact checks and to file for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits.

All residents making up to $56,000 in income are eligible for the services. Administered by the Connecticut Association for Human Services (CAHS), the virtual VITA program is the first IRS-approved end-to-end digital portal to carry out these services, allowing it to rapidly scale operations statewide.

Residents can access the full Virtual VITA services online at www.cahs.org/covid_relief. Residents can also dial 211 to find the nearest in-person VITA service site or the nearest virtual VITA portal, which offers computers for residents to log on and submit their claims.

VITA works with municipalities and local community groups to provide service and accommodate residents across the state.

Economic impact payments available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of up to $1,200 for individuals or $2,400 for married couples, and up to $500 for each qualifying child are only available to those who have filed a 2018 or 2019 tax return, so virtual VITA opens the door for residents who don’t normally file a tax return to receive sorely needed financial support.

Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, beneficiaries of VITA’s tax filing service have received an average of approximately $3,000 from stimulus checks and tax credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit from filing their tax returns. Those whom VITA has also helped file for unemployment benefits will receive average additional benefits of approximately $20,000 during the year. In total, VITA has delivered approximately $30 million this past year in funds received for its beneficiaries in Connecticut.

“Many Connecticut families deeply affected by the COVID-19 crisis are unfortunately not receiving the financial support they are entitled to by the CARES stimulus, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, or other government programs,” Lamont said. “I applaud the work that VITA is doing to get our citizens the financial help they need and deserve, and our state is are committed to supporting the efforts of this important organization to connect with and assist eligible Connecticut residents.”

CAHS has been supported in its expansion by the philanthropic organization 4-CT, which was created with the express purpose of providing emergency assistance to the state’s residents during the current pandemic.

“VITA and CAHS have proven to be an incredibly dynamic partner in pandemic support efforts,” Ted Yang, chief executive officer of 4-CT, said. “Few solutions empower individuals more in accelerating the pace of the government’s response to layoffs and loss of income that we’ve been seeing across the country. 4-CT will continue to work helping the state get through the COVID-19 crisis as securely as possible.”

Connecticut residents who have not filed a 2019 tax return or who have become unemployed but have not yet filed for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance should visit the CAHS website to learn if they are eligible and register for VITA’s free assistance. VITA also recently announced a Referral Incentive Program, whereby philanthropic organizations within Connecticut can receive cash bonuses for referring eligible VITA beneficiaries who successfully complete the program.

VITA estimates that as many as 140,000 people across the state of Connecticut may be eligible for some type of cash benefit from the government. The deadline for filing tax returns has been extended to July 15, 2020, and the deadline for applying for CARES stimulus funds is October 15, 2020.