HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Gov. Ned Lamont said Friday that he’s been personally assured by President Donald Trump that Connecticut will receive continued federal reimbursement for the National Guard’s expenses during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
The Democratic governor said he spoke with Trump late on Thursday night and asked about the state’s request for an extension through Sept. 30. Connecticut was originally approved in March for full federal reimbursement of all costs associated with activating the National Guard, but that agreement was set to expire on Aug. 21.
Lamont said he credits the efforts of the guard members during the pandemic as one of the reasons why Connecticut currently has a low infection rate.
“They’ve not only been providing state government with valuable resources, but their work also extends to the town level, as well as support for our hospitals and long-term care facilities,” he said in a written statement. About 1,000 guardsmen and members of the State Militia have helped with the state’s health care infrastructure, such as building mobile field hospitals, delivering and distributing millions of pieces of personal protective equipment, inspecting and supporting nursing homes, assembling test kits and collecting specimens.
Meanwhile, after three consecutive days of no COVID-associated deaths in Connecticut, Lamont’s office reported that four people have now died, for a total of 4,441 individuals. As of Friday, there were 75 new positive cases out of 7,532 tests conducted since Thursday, and 65 hospitalizations.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.