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Governor Lamont Provides Update on Connecticut’s Coronavirus Response Efforts [[link removed]]

Posted on October 6, 2022

(HARTFORD, CT) – As the State of Connecticut continues taking actions in response to the global spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Governor Ned Lamont provided the following updates as of 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 6, 2022:

Data updates on testing in Connecticut

The following is a summary of newly reported data on COVID-19 in Connecticut from the past 7 days.

Overall Summary

Cumulative

(except for hospital census)

Past 7 days

Positive PCR/NAAT Tests

977,155

3,460

All PCR/NAAT Tests

15,520,804

36,311

Test Positivity (pos/all PCR/NAAT)

--

9.53%

Patients Currently Hospitalized with COVID-19

388

+5

COVID-19 Associated Deaths

11,385

+20

To read the full data report, visit [[link removed]] and click the button labeled, “Data Report.” That website also contains several other data reports, including on the topics of vaccinations, schools, nursing homes, child care, congregate settings, and economic impact.

Data updates on vaccine administration in Connecticut

The following data was reported to the CT WiZ immunization information system as of October 4, 2022.

Total number of people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19:

Dose

Total Administered

At least one dose

3,058,618

Completed primary series

2,772,320

Bivalent booster received

217,486

Percent of people with at least one dose by age group:

>95% of those 65+ >95% of those between 55-64 92% of those between 45-54 91% of those between 35-44 88% of those between 25-34 85% of those between 15-24 73% of those between 10-14 51% of those between 5-9 11% of those between 0-4

To locate a vaccination clinic in Connecticut, visit [[link removed]].

Data updates on breakthrough cases in Connecticut

The Connecticut Department of Public Health is reporting that as of October 5, 2022, a total of 283,841 cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated persons in Connecticut have been identified. Those cases account for 10.29% of the 2.7 million people in the state who are fully vaccinated.

For more data on breakthrough cases in Connecticut, see pages 5 and 6 of this week’s extended COVID-19 data report [[link removed]].

Data updates on variants in Connecticut

The following data contains the cumulative number of SARS-CoV-2 variants that have been identified among Connecticut residents as of today:

Omicron: 26,101 cases Delta: 17,236 cases Alpha: 2,525 cases Iota: 1,083 cases Other: 1,047 cases Gamma: 137 cases Mu: 84 cases Epsilon: 60 cases Lambda: 38 cases Beta: 23 cases Eta: 10 cases Kappa: 2 cases Zeta: 1 case

For more information on variants, see pages 7 and 8 of this week’s extended COVID-19 data report [[link removed]].

Pandemic EBT Child Care program bringing extra food benefits to over 53,500 young children in Connecticut on October 16

The Connecticut Department of Social Services, in consultation with the Connecticut State Department of Education, today announced that $13.7 million in special food assistance benefits will become available on Sunday, October 16, 2022, to the families of more than 53,500 children under age six who are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through the distribution of Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) Child Care benefits.

Specifically:

The Department of Social Services will deposit benefits this Saturday onto existing SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards of more than 40,800 households with 53,500 eligible children who were under age six as of September 1, 2021, unless the child already received Pandemic EBT Children in School benefits by being enrolled in the free or reduced-price meals program at their school and having missed school due to a COVID-19 related absence. After the deposit, these benefits are scheduled to be activated and available for the purchase of food on Sunday, October 16, 2022. Benefits may differ from family to family and depend on how many months the child received SNAP as a member of his or her eligible household between September 2021 and June 2022. Each eligible household whose child received SNAP benefits in all months from September 2021 through June 2022 will receive $331.65 per eligible child. Households whose child began receiving SNAP benefits after September 1, 2021, or ended before June 30, 2022, will receive a lower amount. The Department of Social Services began sending letters to all eligible households on October 1, 2022, notifying them of these benefits. Families do not need to apply for P-EBT benefits, as the department uses SNAP eligibility information to determine if children are eligible for P-EBT Child Care benefits.

Benefits can be used at any location that accepts SNAP/EBT cards. This includes farmers markets and direct market farms. In fact, enrollees can double the value of P-EBT or other SNAP benefits at farmers markets that are participating in CT Fresh Match. Additional information on that program can be found online at [[link removed]].

P-EBT participants will also have online access to eligible food purchases through delivery or curbside pickup at participating retailers Amazon, Aldi, Amazon, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Food Bazaar, Geissler’s Supermarkets, Price Chopper/Market 32 via Instacart, ShopRite, Stop & Shop, and Walmart. Additional information on that is available at [[link removed]].

Food budgets can be stretched further with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Households with children under age five, new parents, and pregnant or breastfeeding women may be eligible to receive healthy foods, free nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to helpful resources. To apply or learn more about WIC, visit [[link removed]].

All children up to five years of age receiving SNAP benefits are also now eligible for free Head Start/Early Head Start programming. Head Start provides programs that develop early learning skills, healthy lifestyles, language and literacy skills, and other academic needs. To learn more, click here [[link removed]] or contact [[email protected]].

The Department of Social Services received information from the State Department of Education to enable implementation of the P-EBT Child Care plan, which was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. The P-EBT Child Care SNAP funding was authorized by the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, with additional amendments made in the Continuing Appropriations Act and Other Extensions Act of 2021, as well as the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.

For more information about the P-EBT program, visit [[link removed]].

Providing information to Connecticut residents

For the most up-to-date information from the State of Connecticut on COVID-19, residents are encouraged to visit [[link removed]]. Residents can also subscribe to text message alerts from the state by texting the keyword COVIDCT to 888-777.

Individuals who have general questions that are not answered on the website can call 2-1-1 for assistance. The hotline is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance. Anyone who is out-of-state or requires a toll-free number can connect to Connecticut 2-1-1 by dialing 1-800-203-1234. This is intended to be used by individuals who are not experiencing symptoms but may have general questions related to COVID-19. Anyone who is experiencing symptoms are strongly urged to contact their medical provider.

Read on CT.gov [[link removed]]

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