Month: June 2020

Norwalk Shooting Suspect Captured In Bridgeport After Pursuit

Norwalk Police UPDATE:  At approximately 10:00 a.m officers were called to Roodner Court at 261 Ely Avenue for a report of a person shot. Officers arrived and found one victim, who was brought to the hospital. We are currently working with other law enforcement agencies as this is an active investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the Norwalk Police Detective Bureau at 203-854-3011.

Bridgeport Police said “The person(s) being investigated fled on foot onto the property of Central High School where he was approached by school security and at that time the party indicated that he needed assistance and that he was being chased. The party was taken into the security office and police were notified. Upon police arrival, that party fled the security office and was immediately apprehended outside of the building and taken into custody.”

 

Fairfield Police provided K-9 assistance and is taking the suspect into custody for Norwalk, currently being held on motor vehicle charges.

 

 

 

 

 

Governor Wants Independent Review Of Nursing Homes

HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont announced that he is ordering an independent, third-party review to be conducted of the preparation and response to the COVID-19 pandemic inside of Connecticut’s nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The review will incorporate a top-to-bottom analysis of all elements of the pandemic and how it was addressed in these facilities, which were disproportionately impacted by the virus. The governor said he wants the analysis completed before the start of autumn in order to prepare for a potential second wave of the virus.

 

“Our state took proactive and innovative steps to address the outbreak in our long-term care facilities, but we must take steps to better understand how prepared the system was, and then review the steps that were taken once the virus was clearly present across the state,” Governor Lamont said. “As we prepare for the possibility of a second wave, we must be proactive in analyzing what occurred, what needs to be improved, and how we can ensure the quality and safety of facilities that some of our most vulnerable residents call home.”

 

The Lamont administration will soon solicit proposals from third-party experts to conduct the review. Before it begins, the administration plans to collaborate with legislative leaders to develop a scope that ensures the review provides the state with meaningful information that can best improve the safety of patients and staff in these facilities. The awarded independent expert will be directed to work widely across state government and include input from the legislative and executive branches, as well as key stakeholders, such as the operators of long-term care facilities, the unions that represent the staff who work in these facilities, patients, health experts, and others.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on all elements of Connecticut’s health care infrastructure, but no sector had more direct and tragic consequences than the nursing homes and assisted living facilities. To date, Connecticut’s nursing homes have experienced over 2,500 resident deaths and more than 8,500 cases in a population of just over 21,000. More than 60 percent of total deaths in Connecticut have been among residents of nursing homes.

 

The Connecticut Department of Public Health, under the direction of Governor Lamont, took several aggressive steps to contain these outbreaks, including:

 

  • Becoming one of the first states to discontinue visitation in early March;
  • Establishing dedicated COVID-recovery facilities to prevent COVID-positive patients from re-entering nursing homes;
  • Greatly enhancing inspection and monitoring of infection control practices by leveraging the Connecticut National Guard;
  • Delivering millions of units of personal protective equipment (PPE) through the state’s mutual aid program;
  • Providing a $125 million financial aid package for nursing homes to support staff payment, infection control, PPE costs, and other pandemic-related expenses; and
  • Establishing a new category of worker, the Temporary Nurse Aide, to assist with staffing shortages.

 

In May and June, Connecticut facilitated testing of every nursing home resident who had not previously tested positive. Governor Lamont also signed an executive order  requiring the staff at all nursing homes, managed residential communities, and assisted living facilities to be tested for COVID-19 every week for the duration of the public health and civil preparedness emergency.

 

 

“We must take this opportunity to learn from the pandemic and the experience of our nursing homes to ensure we are using the best available science and quality improvement techniques to protect these residents,” Dr. Deidre Gifford, acting commissioner of the Department of Public Health, said. “We must study the epidemiology, protocols, staffing, and overall preparedness of all our facilities to provide clarity and understanding of what happened over the course of this pandemic.”

 

The solicitation of proposals for an outside expert to conduct the review will be released in the next several days.

 

This press release was made possible by:

 

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Senator Seeks To Protect Student Veterans

WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced legislation to ensure student veterans do not face financial or academic penalties if they need to withdraw from classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill would give GI Bill beneficiaries additional flexibilities to ensure they do not face bills for overpayments or lose their academic or housing benefits due to unforeseen circumstances during this pandemic that may cause them to withdraw from classes.

 

“Student veterans should not be penalized for taking time out of the academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Blumenthal. “This is an unprecedented time and we must give GI Bill recipients the flexibility they need to address any health and family emergencies. I am proud to introduce this legislation with Senator Brown to ensure our country’s student veterans do not needlessly lose their hard-earned, well-deserved academic and housing benefits.”

 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted education for so many student veterans across the country,” said Brown. “This legislation will help ensure student veterans have the flexibility to take time off during this crisis and resume at a time that works best for them, without losing the benefits they’ve earned.”

 

This bill would allow GI Bill beneficiaries to withdraw from classes during the pandemic without penalty by not counting a withdrawal during the pandemic period against a student’s available benefits and allowing the same benefits to be used later through a restoration of benefits, extending the housing stipend by four weeks for those who withdraw, and allowing those who withdraw to use their six hour credit exclusion later. The full text of the legislation can be found here

The bill is endorsed by the National Association of Veterans’ Program Administrators.

 

“The National Association of Veterans’ Program Administrators (NAVPA) is pleased with the immediate response from our nation’s leadership to protect student veterans from unforeseen circumstances due to the COVID-19 crisis,” said NAVPA President Dr. Jan Del Signore. “As educational institutions across the country take action to ensure the safety of students, faculty, and staff, NAVPA appreciates the new measures being initiated by Congress to grant the Secretary of the VA the ability to address any disparities and ensure our student veterans have no detrimental impact from this national emergency.”

 

This press release was made possible by:

 

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