Gov. Lamont Extends COVID-19 Emergency: 5 Things To Know

CONNECTICUT — Gov Ned Lamont extended the COVID-19 public health emergency Tuesday in order to keep federal assistance programs going for state residents.

Here are some things to know:

When will the emergency expire?

Lamont’s latest extension will last until Dec. 28 or when the federal public health emergency ends, whichever is sooner

What federal assistance programs will be extended?

Households that receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will continue to get emergency benefits to purchase food. On average, enrolled households have received an extra $154 per month for groceries. To date, the state has received $748 million in emergency SNAP benefits since the pandemic began.

Funds have also been used to place more than 6,000 people who are homeless into non-congregate (hotels, dormitories) housing. Several hundred domestic violence survivors have also received similar benefits. The state has received about $7.7 million in federal reimbursements and expects an additional $20.2 million.

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When was the state’s public health emergency first declared?

Lamont declared the public health emergency and a civil preparedness emergency on March 10, 2020.

What about executive orders?

Lamont wrote that he doesn’t intend to issue executive orders under the declaration.

His last batch of executive orders related to the pandemic came in January, when the state was in the midst of the omicron variant surge.

What is the food security situation in Connecticut?

Nearly 220,000 Connecticut households receive SNAP benefits, Lamont said. A study from the Connecticut Foodshare Institution for Hunger and Research Solutions found that 31 percent of state households were food insecure one year into the pandemic.

Food prices in the Northeast have increased 15 months in a row, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prices increased 9 percent from May 2021 to May 2022, which was the highest 12-month change since 1981. Prices for food at home rose 10.4 percent over 12 months, which was the biggest increase in more than 41 years.