As of today, Tuesday, April 21, a total of 20,360 positive cases of COVID-19 have been reported among Connecticut residents, up 545 cases from yesterday. 1,949 Connecticut residents have been hospitalized (+30) and 1,423 Connecticut residents have died (sadly, 92 more than yesterday). Connecticut has conducted 64,192 tests, including nearly 1,400 in the past day alone.
REMINDER: Face Coverings Mandatory In Public
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wearing a cloth face covering is intended to slow the spread of COVID-19, particularly in the event that an individual is a carrier of the virus and is not experiencing symptoms. Wearing a face covering is expected to sharply decrease the ability of the virus to transfer from person to person. Additionally, cloth masks are not a replacement for social distancing and continuing to practice hygiene; those steps should continue to be followed whenever possible.
Making a face cover isn’t as complicated as you might think! Check out how you can make a face cover from an old t-shirt here!
Department of Labor Update
The state Department of Labor recently announced that after receiving more than 386,000 applications since March 13, more than two years of average applications in one month, recent changes including shifting staff responsibilities, using former staff who moved to other agencies, bringing back retirees and creating new automated programs to process claims, it has processed more than 293,000 of those applications now. In an average week, the Agency issues approximately $15 million per week in benefits payments; in recent weeks it has issued more than $230 million.
The DOL also announced that unemployment claim processing has been reduced from a peak wait of six weeks to an average of three to four weeks. All claims will be retroactive to the week a claim is filed.
The Department of Labor recommends individuals use direct deposit over debit card payments to benefit speedy recovery. Additionally, it recommends selecting “temporary shutdown” to separate employment; an online tutorial for speeding up claims can be found here.
New Haven Rapid Testing Center Seeing Results
Friday, April 17 was the first day of operations at the state’s first Rapid Testing Center in New Haven, and health care officials feel confident that the 612 tests administered there on Friday indicate a successful ramping-up in testing availability. The site uses a rapid test that can provide test results in just 30 minutes from sample collection to test results being known. It’s estimated that about 750 tests a day can be performed there seven days a week. The tests are provided at no cost. Any interested person must register online and make an appointment prior to arrival; unlike other test centers, patients don’t need to be referred by doctors prior to testing. Appointments can be made at www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing.
New Department of Economic and Community Development Partnerships
The state Department of Economic and Community Development has formed partnerships with SoFi and Equifax to expedite loan processing and payments, lowering costs, under the Connecticut Recovery Bridge Loan Program. This $50 million program, created by DECD to provide relief to small businesses and nonprofits, has already received more than 5,000 applications. SoFi will help expedite loan processing and fulfillment to ensure borrowers receive financial assistance quickly, while Equifax will validate applicant information. It’s hoped these partnerships will help payments be made by the end of April.
“How We Feel” App To Improve State Pandemic Response
Governor Ned Lamont announced the state is working with developers of “How We Feel,” an app created in response to the need for more information on COVID-19. The app is free to download, does not require logging in or sharing personal details, and takes about 30 seconds per day. The app is intended for users to report any symptoms they may be experiencing; the information could reveal outbreak hotspots and give researchers more information about the way COVID impacts people.
Connecticut residents, whether healthy or sick, are asked to download the app and self-report symptoms through a series of short prompts. The information, over time, will be shared with medical researchers and institutions to gain new information on emerging outbreaks, identify new at-risk populations and measure how effective measures like social distancing can be for the average person. Up-to-date information about medical conditions can help researchers make faster decisions to slow or contain the virus; information will help them determine who is sick, how sick they are, where they are and how, where and when to deploy additional resources.
Payment Relief For Student Loans
Governor Ned Lamont and State Banking Commissioner Jorge Perez announced that Connecticut, collaborating with other states, has secured relief options with private student loan servicers whose borrowers aren’t covered by the CARES Act, intended to give relief to state residents with privately held student loans. The CARES Act did not address student loan borrowers with federal loans owned outside of the federal government, such as loans made by private lenders.
Under the new initiative, state residents with commercially owned Federal Family Education Loan Programs or private student loans will be eligible for expanded relief. They are asked to contact their student loan servicer. Relief options include providing at least 90 days of forbearance, waiving late payment fees, ensuring borrowers are not subject to negative credit reports, ceasing debt collection lawsuits for 90 days or working with borrowers to enroll in other borrower assistance programs like income based repayment. If regulated student loan servicers are limited in their ability to take such actions, servicers should instead proactively work with loan holders to relax obligations or restrictions.
Borrowers are asked to visit the Department of Education’s National Student Loan Data System or call the Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243 or 1-800-730-8913. Borrowers with private loans can check contact information on monthly billing statements. If a borrower experiences trouble with their student loan servicer, they are encouraged to ask to speak to a supervisor; if still needing help, they should contact the state Department of Banking at 860-240-8170 or file a complaint here.
Agricultural, Cultural Grant Funding
While COVID-19 has caused a number of disruptions for individuals, businesses and organizations, it is encouraging to see an increasing number of grants being released to meet agricultural. These include:
The Federal Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced a rapid response initiative to novel coronavirus impacts across food and agricultural systems for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’s Foundational and Applied Science Program. Applications are due June 4, 2020.
The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service additionally announced deadlines for project proposals for on-farm conservation innovation trials and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program Alternative Funding Arrangements have been extended to May 29, 2020.
Lastly, the National Endowment of Humanities posted a relief opportunity for cultural institutions, with eligible applicants including state, county and municipal governments, nonprofits and higher education institutions. The relief is eligible for individuals affected by coronavirus to support at-risk humanities positions and projects in museums, libraries, historic sites and professional organizations, among others.
Resources from AARP
AARP continues to release resources to members of the public to educate themselves on COVID-19 and how to navigate life through the pandemic. These include:
A recording of a Facebook Live held on Monday, April 20 is available on the AARP-CT’s Facebook page. This event, which featured Kris Thompson, Smart Technology Specialist at Oak Hill, covered simple technology solutions for communicating with family and friends during the COVID-19 pandemic. The negative effects of social isolation are real, and the pandemic is causing more people than ever to experience them. Oak Hill’s experts have worked to help people in fighting this issue with educational and technological support. You can find this, and other Facebook Lives, here.
AARP is holding two national town halls this week on Thursday, April 23. At 1 p.m., callers can listen about how to support loved ones in care facilities; at 7 p.m., the discussion will center on the disparate impact COVID is having on communities. Please call in to toll-free 855-274-9507 for both calls; recordings will be posted at www.aarp.org/coronavirus.
If you know someone who could use a friendly voice, AARP volunteers are helping people stay connected and receive help. Requests can be made online in English or Spanish or by calling 888-281-0145 for English or 888-497-4108 for Spanish.
