Author: Walter Hewitt

We in CT now have an application that can help with COVID contact tracing.  This means that we can quarantine just those people who have COVID – and those that have come into close contact with someone who has it. This would have a much smaller impact on business and the economy – as well as help get this pandemic under control! But we have to get the majority of us to use this application in order for us to be able to expect it to have an impact!

The exposure logging and notifications are completely anonymous. You will not be able to identify anyone that potentially exposed you to COVID-19, and others will not be able to identify you if you potentially exposed them. Your information is completely private and confidential. The app does not collect your name or personal information. My wife and I have it on our cell phones – and I encourage everyone to do the same.

From the State of CT web site: https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus/COVIDAlertCT/WhatYouShouldKnow

What you should know about COVID Alert CT

Overview 

COVID Alert CT is completely free – Android users can download the app from the Google Play Store, and iPhone users can enable Exposure Notifications within the Settings app. You must be at least 18 years old to use COVID Alert CT.

COVID Alert CT is the voluntary, anonymous, exposure-notification smartphone app.

The app keeps track of when people are close to another app-enabled smartphone using Bluetooth technology.

The app alerts you if you were in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19.

The app also alerts other app-enabled smartphones if you test positive for COVID-19 and were in close contact with those individuals, based upon your consent to share close contact codes.

How it Works 

As you go about your day, the app uses Bluetooth to detect when another person with the same app comes within 6 feet. Your phone exchanges a secure random code with the other phone to record that they were near.

If the app senses that you’ve been with 6 feet of someone for a total of 15 minutes or more in a day, the app adds their phone’s random code to a list of close contacts. Devices that are just passing by or stay more than 6 feet away from you are not included on the list.

If you test positive: 

• A contact tracer from your higher education institution, the Connecticut Department of Public Health, or your local health department will ask if you are willing to share the “close contact” codes your app has logged while you may have been contagious.
• If you agree, a contract tracer will provide you a code.
• Once you submit that code through the app, those individuals you were within 6 feet of for 15 minutes or more, who have also downloaded the app will receive a notification that they were in close contact with someone with COVID-19. Sharing your list is secure and private. The app never reveals who you are to anyone.

Privacy 

We know privacy is a serious concern, particularly in times like this, with these types of apps – but we want to be incredibly clear that exposure logging and notifications are completely anonymous. You will not be able to identify anyone that potentially exposed you to COVID-19, and others will not be able to identify you if you potentially exposed them. Your information is completely private and confidential. The app does not collect your name or personal information.

Remember: 

• You have full control to receive exposure notifications and can turn it off at any time.
• COVID Alert CT will never track your location – it uses Bluetooth to detect if two devices are near each other.
• Your identity will never be revealed to anyone.
• Your identity will remain anonymous; the app will never collect, transmit or store any of your personal information.

COVID Alert CT Setup Instructions

Apple devices:

1. Go to Settings > Exposure Notifications > Turn on Exposure Notifications
2. Tap Continue and select United States > Connecticut
3. Complete COVID Alert CT Onboarding

To verify that exposure notifications are enabled on an iPhone, go to Settings > Exposure Notifications. If notifications are enabled, users should see that the Exposure Logging Status is set to Active and there will be a green checkmark next to it. Users do not need to enable Availability Alerts on their iPhone in order for COVID Alert CT exposure notifications to work. Enabling Availability Alerts will let users know if they are in a region that is using the exposure notification tool, but is not necessary for receiving notifications.

Android devices:

The COVID Alert CT app can be downloaded from Google Play. To verify that exposure notifications are enabled on an Android phone, open the COVID Alert CT app. Click on the Settings tab and ensure that Exposure Notifications are set to On. If not, click on Exposure Notifications and turn the toggle on.

The Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (CT DECD) is having a Q+A session this Friday, October 30 at 9:00 a.m., regarding the CT CARES Small Business Grant Program. You can join on Zoom via the following:

Topic: Q&A re CT CARES Small Business Grant

Time: Oct 30, 2020 09:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81711891918?pwd=ckNWZTY5a1YvTC91SStWMTlLNHFvUT09

Note:  

In some cases small businesses are awarded “extra credit” for being in a distressed municipality.  We are still on that list.

Mayor Ronald K. McDaniel
Town of Montville

The Connecticut Office of the Governor, Department of Housing, and Connecticut Housing Finance Authority have created a residential landlord survey to better understand the impact that COVID-19 has had on landlords and tenants.

The survey is due on November 6^th, less than two weeks from today.

If you are a landlord, please complete the survey.  If you know someone who is a landlord, or if you have a landlord, please encourage them to complete the survey.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Mohit Agrawal (mohit.agrawal@ct.gov) and John Scianimanico (john.scianimanico@ct.gov) in the Office of the Governor.

Free. Advance Registration required, click HERE.

Governor Lamont announced today that the state has created the Connecticut CARES Small Business Grant Program to help small businesses and nonprofits that continue to be negatively impacted by COVID-19.

Small businesses and nonprofits in Connecticut with a 2019 payroll of less than $1.5 million OR 20 or fewer employees can apply for a one-time grant of $5,000. DECD will administer the program and online applications are estimated to begin the week of November 9. All funding will be disbursed by the end of the year.

Per Governor Lamont’s direction, half of the funds will be allocated to small businesses and nonprofits located in towns and cities that have been designated as distressed municipalities. The program is funded from Connecticut’s portion of the federal CARES Act.

Additional information, along with eligibility requirements, can be found here. DECD will also host webinars and online discussions in the coming weeks to assist businesses and nonprofits with the application process.

We continue to do everything possible to help organizations that have been hardest hit by the pandemic. We will be in touch over the next few weeks with more information leading up to the launch of the grant application.

Thanks to:

David Lehman, Commissioner
david.lehman@ct.gov

“Resilience” created by the talented Joann at Mystic Knotwork, a CT PTAC client. Knotwork owner, Matthew Beaudoin, was recently named CT’s 2020 Small Business Person of the Year — congrats Matt!