There’s a mixture of good news and bad news in today’s Connecticut COVID-19 numbers. As of today, Friday April 17, 16,809 state residents have tested positive for COVID-19 – up 925 (5.8%) from yesterday. The good news is that a total of 1,946 people have been admitted to hospitals – up just 20 new admissions from yesterday. The terrible news is that, for the first time, Connecticut has surpassed the 1,000 deaths mark: 1,036 state residents have died of COVID-19 in Connecticut.
State Processing More Unemployment Claims; Backlog Now Just One Week
With a new software patch in place, overnight from Wednesday into Thursday, the state Department of Labor processed 60,000 unemployment claims. Additional claims will continue to be processed through this new system, helping to expedite the process. Emails containing next steps that claimants need to take to receive their benefits have been delivered to those whose applications were processed. In addition to checking inboxes, claimants are reminded to check any spam or junk folders for the email.
Since March 13, the department received more than 350,000 applications, nearly the same amount that it typically receives over a two-year period. Approximately 174,000 of those applications had already been manually processed prior to the deployment of the new software improvements. Paired with the continued manual processing, the originally anticipated six-week wait period is expected to be shortened to one week or less.
New East Hartford Mobile Foodshare Site
Foodshare, the regional food pantry for Hartford and Tolland Counties announced that starting Monday, April 20 until April 24, they will be providing free food at Rentschler Field, 615 Silver Lane in East Hartford from 8:30am to 12:00pm. If you are unable to attend, you can visit one of their other mobile Foodshare sites which operate throughout the region every weekday. To find site near you, text FOODSHARE TO 85511.
Interested in making a donation? Foodshare accepts perishable and non-perishable food directly at their two locations in Bloomfield and Hartford:
Bloomfield warehouse receives donations Monday Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
You can also make a monetary donation online by following the link here.
Who Is At “High Risk” For COVID-19?
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) bases its definition of high-risk on early information out of China, where the COVID-19 epidemic began, which showed certain populations were at higher risk of getting sick from this illness or having more complications.
Those at higher risk include older adults and people who have high-risk chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes and lung disease.
In any age group, having ‘comorbid conditions’ (that is, two or more chronic diseases or conditions) makes someone at increased risk of complications from COVID-19. The Connecticut Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (CT BRFSS) allows us to determine how many adults in Connecticut have comorbid chronic conditions. Comorbidity was calculated based on the following BRFSS indicators of chronic disease conditions: asthma, COPD, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, kidney diseases, cancer, arthritis and depression. In Connecticut, about 650,000 Connecticut adults have comorbid conditions (two or more).
U.S. Chamber Starts $5,000 Grant For Small Businesses
The U.S. Chamber has launched a new small grant program to assist small businesses as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Though it is not clear if the program is specifically for for-profit companies, all employers are recommended to apply. Applications will be online and open on April 20 at https://savesmallbusiness.com. Companies with between 3 and 20 employees are eligible, and they must be located in economically distressed communities, which include Waterbury, Meriden, Hartford and Willimantic. The grants, valued at $5,000, will be awarded on a weekly basis until the money runs out. The grant funding can be used for any expenses including rent, operations and payroll. Applicants will need a W9 to complete the form.
Good News! New Testing Center Opened in New Haven
At some point, as we transition from staying home to slowly returning to the workplace, individual testing for COVID-19 will play a vital role. So I’m happy to announce that the state is partnering with CVS Health to make free, rapid COVID-19 tests available to eligible Connecticut residents – including the opening today of the state’s first rapid testing site at the former Gateway Community College campus at Long Wharf in New Haven.
Using the new Abbott ID NOW™ COVID-19 test, CVS Health is planning to conduct up to 750 tests per day, seven days a week. All patients seeking to be tested will be required to pre-register in advance online.
Here’s how it works:
Anyone experiencing certain COVID-19 related symptoms and risk factors as defined by CDC guidelines, as well as those who meet certain requirements including state residency and age guidelines, are eligible.
All patients must register online and schedule a time slot prior to arriving to the test site. Anyone who does not have an appointment will not be tested. Tests can be scheduled for the same day or up to two days in advance. To register, visit www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing
The testing will not take place at CVS Pharmacy or MinuteClinic locations, but will be held at the former Gateway Community College parking lot (60 Sargent Drive, New Haven). For the safety of patients and health care providers, all patients must arrive in a vehicle. At this time, walk-up testing is not being offered.
When patients arrive, they are required to remain in their vehicles. Team members will check their registration and direct them through the testing process. Health care providers, including nurse practitioners and physician assistants from MinuteClinic, will be on-site to oversee the testing.
The process takes approximately 30 minutes from the collection of the swab to the delivery of the results.
