Corona Virus Update, 5/2

So many of us have suffered the loss of someone we know in this pandemic. Yesterday we received a call that Father Richard Boucher had passed from Covid-19. Fr B was a family friend to the Bessenaire family (my wife Michelle’s family). He was paster of our church before Fr John. He was living in Hartford and we had kept in touch. Fr B was a priest for 60 years. May he, and all those who have been lost, be at peace.

We are 56 days since our first confirmed Covid 19 case in Connecticut

102,473 have been tested

29,287 have tested positive

2436 have died, up 97 today

1551 are currently hospitalized, down 41

An action from the CT AFL-CIO John, Governor Lamont still hasn't issued a Workers’ Comp Presumption for essential frontline workers who contract COVID-19. I am writing you to see if you'd be willing to send him a letter today urging him to do so. Send a letter to Governor Lamont now! Our state’s essential workers who get sick are missing out on badly needed benefits. We need your support to urge Gov. Lamont to do the right thing and help these frontline workers who only got sick by going to work. We are counting on you. Send a letter In Solidarity,  Team AFL-CIO

A reminder of a Telephone Town Hall for AFT members Dear John , This week, we released a comprehensive plan to help begin to think through how to safely reopen our schools and communities. It was a massive effort from AFT staff, allies, and many of you, and the product shows it: The plan is really a first-of-its-kind document that takes science-based, expert advice and lays out a vision for how we might approach our new normal in a way that puts safety, workers and the people we serve paramount. The collaboration of public health professionals, union leaders and frontline workers that went into preparing this plan is really a microcosm for what happens next in this critical period between flattening the curve and truly eradicating the virus. It’s something we all must do together, and it’s where our union can play a crucial role as the vehicle for helping us get there. As you’ve likely seen, the plan features five core pillars that inform our decision to reopen the country based on the science as well as on the expertise of educators and healthcare professionals—not on politics or wishful thinking. The pillars are: Maintain physical distancing until the number of new cases declines for at least 14 consecutive days. Put in place the infrastructure and resources to test, trace and isolate new cases. Deploy the public health tools that prevent the virus’ spread, and align them with education strategies that meet the needs of students. Involve workers, unions, parents and communities in all aspects of planning. Each workplace and community faces unique challenges related to COVID-19. Invest in recovery: Do not abandon America’s communities or forfeit America’s future. Since we released the plan, it’s been covered by the New York Times, HuffPost, U.S. News & World Report and a host of other news outlets. Be sure to watch my interview on MSNBC about the plan. And you can read the whole thing here. I’ve received feedback from members of Congress, school officials, administrators, international colleagues, public health experts and others that the document is incredibly helpful. I hope you’ll all read it and continue to share it. Next week, we’ll be using our Tuesday telephone town hall to go over the plan. We’ll have a panel of leaders discussing not only what’s in the plan, but also how they are using it to engage with their districts and college administration about how we can reopen safely.  If you haven’t already registered for AFT telephone town halls, you can do so here.And again, please be sure to share with your members. I want to make sure they have an opportunity to see this document and be part of the conversation. I hope you’re safe and healthy. I’ll talk to you on Tuesday. In unity,  Randi Weingarten Be safe my friends, John