As Newtown and Connecticut tallies of new COVID-19 cases and losses continued edging upward, state officials added more states to a national travel advisory and Governor Ned Lamont requested the National Guard’s coronavirus support regiment to remain on duty in the state through at least December.

According to Newtown Health District Director Donna Culbert, as of Wednesday, July 15, Newtown had lost three more residents to the virus, bringing that tragic count up to 45. Her office also tallied 243 total positive cases by mid-week — also an increase of three since The Newtown Bee’s last report.

By Wednesday at 4 pm, the total of COVID-19 cases reported among Connecticut residents is 47,636, including 45,653 laboratory-confirmed and 1,983 probable cases. Sixty-seven patients were hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, and the state had registered 4,380 COVID-19-associated deaths.

By late Wednesday, the state reported 602,116 coronavirus tests had been administered among residents. At that time, the number of positive cases in Fairfield County was approaching 17,000 with 1,385 deaths.

One day earlier, a regional travel advisory between Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York that went into effect last month and directs incoming travelers from states with a significant community spread of COVID-19 to self-quarantine for a 14-day period was updated to include 22 states. Four states were added (Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio, and Wisconsin), while Delaware had been removed.

The quarantine applies to any person arriving from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average or a state with a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.

The 22 states meeting this criteria as of today are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin.

During a July 13 press briefing, Governor Ned Lamont said he would be implementing a certification process for air travelers flying into Connecticut airports. He said air travelers will be asked to fill out a form stating where they came from and where they plan to quarantine, if they are from a state that is on the mandatory quarantine list. More details on this will be forthcoming, the governor said.

Anyone seeking the most up-to-date information on the regional travel advisory is encouraged to visit the state’s coronavirus website at ct.gov/coronavirus.

Executive Orders

Between Monday and Tuesday, Lamont signed two new executive orders — his 60th and 61st since the virus emergency struck the state — No. 7GGG and 7HHH.

Executive Order No. 7GGG enacted the following provisions:

Authorization for temporary rental housing program: Authorizes the creation of a rental housing assistance program Governor Lamont announced late last month.

Temporary mortgage relief program: Authorizes the creation of a mortgage assistance program Governor Lamont announced late last month.

Online continuing education for plumbers and electricians: Extends until December 31, 2020, the deadline for electricians and plumbers to complete continuing education requirements and permits electricians and plumbers to renew their licenses within existing deadlines notwithstanding their failure to complete continuing education requirements prior to December 31, 2020.

Executive Order No. 7HHH enacted the following provision:

Authorization for continued temporary suspension of the requirements for licensure, certification, or registration of out-of-state providers: Allows the commissioner of the Department of Public Health to temporarily suspend the requirements for licensure, certification, or registration for certain out-of-state healthcare providers in order to supplement the state’s ability to respond to the pandemic.

Keeping On Guard

On July 15, Lamont submitted a request to the US Department of Homeland Security to extend support for the Connecticut National Guard’s statewide response to the COVID-19 pandemic through December 31.

In March, the department approved the state to receive federal reimbursement for all of the costs associated with activating the Guard in its support of emergency response operations in the wake of the pandemic, however that agreement is set to expire August 7. Governor Lamont said the National Guard is playing a critical role in assisting emergency management and public health officials with lifesaving needs, and the state continues to rely on its support.

“The Connecticut National Guard has demonstrated that its ability to respond is constant, and their unwavering response is a big reason why we have been able to significantly bend the curve from the initial outbreak,” Governor Lamont said. “Not only are they providing state government with needed support, but they regularly partner with local and federal agencies to help protect our communities.”

Since its initial involvement on March 20, more than 1,000 Connecticut National Guardsmen and members of the state militia have been called to duty to support operations designed to enhance the state’s healthcare infrastructure. Tasks have included the erection of mobile field hospitals, delivery and distribution of millions of pieces of personal protective equipment, nursing home inspections and support, and testing kit assembly and collection.

Small Town Assistance

On July 9, in an effort to support Connecticut’s municipalities while implementing projects that will give a boost to the economy and help in their response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Ned Lamont announced that he is reinstating the Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) — a state initiative that funds infrastructure improvement projects for towns that are otherwise ineligible to receive urban action bonds.

To accomplish this, the governor is opening a new round of grants totaling $15 million. The program has not been active since 2016, and Governor Lamont said that restoring it will provide much-needed support to towns during a period of fiscal insecurity caused by the pandemic.

The governor is also implementing a special COVID-19 provision in this round that will support towns with expenditures related to their response to the pandemic, including for new construction, expansion, renovation, or replacement for existing facilities.

“Our small towns have been hit hard by COVID-19 and are in need of our help to fund these projects,” Governor Lamont said. “Simply put, some of our small towns need to modernize their infrastructure so that we can support efforts to grow the economy, but lack the property tax base they need to fully fund these projects on their own. The state can and should do what we can to help with these costs, as these small towns drive tourism, honor our deep and celebrated history, and provide us with family-friendly getaways that are part of the New England experience.”

The application period for this round began on July 13 and towns must apply by August 14. Recipient projects are expected to be announced in mid-September.

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