June 12, 2020 - Coronavirus Update #29

Friday, June 12th, 2020                                           CORONA VIRUS UPDATE #29

To:        All residents
From:    Steve Dunn, First Selectman

NO ADDITIONAL BROOKFIELD RESIDENTS LOST TO COVID-19 VIRUS

There has been one additional case reported in Brookfield in the past 14 days. This is very good news. Confirmed cases are at 154, and we remain with seven deaths in town. New infections have plateaued and hospital admissions are down, demonstrating the effectiveness of the measures we all have been taking together. We are still concerned that cases and hospitalization rates in states that have opened earlier than CT are showing rises in cases and admissions to hospitals and this will bear careful watching.

To be accurate, we will only report cases confirmed by our Director of Public Health.

SELF CERTIFICATION REQUIRED FOR BUSINESSES TO OPEN

All businesses subject to the Phase 1 and Phase 2 reopening rules are required to self-certify prior to opening.

Please view the reopening rules, self-certification form and list of self-certified businesses on the State of Connecticut website at https://portal.ct.gov/DECD/Content/Coronavirus-Business-Recovery/Sector-Rules-and-Certification-for-Reopen

WE ARE OPENING PARKS

We have opened the Greenway for walking only and masks must be worn. To start there will be no running allowed along with a ban on bicycles, scooters and skateboards. This is to ensure the safety of our residents and to allow the maximum number of people on the Greenway. The Board of Selectmen has met to review the plan to reopen our parks and facilities gradually over the coming weeks, balancing our desire to enjoy them with the need to keep everyone safe. We will follow the guidance of our Director of Public Health, the State, and our Emergency Management team. Details on each facility are available on the town website also. These are subject change as we work towards fully opening the entire town. All tennis courts are now open using USTA guiidelines and picnic benches are now available at our parks.

OPENING TOWN HALL

We will be carefully returning Town Hall to normal operations over the month of June. To bring staff back and keep residents safe, we are reconfiguring our offices and installing sneeze shields in all offices that the public visits. The demand for this equipment is great, so there may be a delay in getting Town Hall up and running. You must make an appointment with the department you are visiting. We encourage everyone to use our online services if possible to conduct business with the town. When you visit Town Hall, you must wear a mask at all times, have your temperature checked and answer the CDC health questions. If you have any concerns about your health, please do not come to Town Hall.

PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM CHANGES

The U.S. Congress passed a bipartisan bill called the Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act that makes several important changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

The new law eases some of the program’s restrictions, giving small businesses more time to use their loans and letting borrowers spend more of their loans on non-payroll expenses.

Key changes to the PPP include:

• Extends the period to use PPP funds from 8 weeks to 24 weeks
• Reduces the minimum payroll spend to 60% (from 75%)
• Borrowers can now use the 24-week period to fully restore their workforce levels and wages (December 31 instead of June 30)
• Businesses now have five years to repay the loan, instead of two

COVID-19 INFORMATION

These are important links to keep up to date on the Coronavirus:

State of Connecticut’s Coronavirus Information

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)

World Health Organization (WHO)

Small Business Owners who need assistance in paying workers whose hours have been cut

GET YOUR DOG LICENSE

You can get your dog license on line. Just go to the town website and go to the Town Clerk page. We are still going to have our most popular dog contest-details also on the town web site.