Report by Paula Antolini, August 8, 2020, 11:12AM EDT
08/07/2020
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that, following his telephone call late last night with President Donald J. Trump, the State of Connecticut has been approved to receive an extension through September 30 of its full federal funding for its use of the National Guard in the state’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March, the state was approved by the president to receive full federal reimbursement for all costs associated with activating the Guard in support of the state’s emergency response operations, however that agreement had been set to expire on August 21.
“The men and women of the Connecticut National Guard deserve applause for the work they’ve done in response to this pandemic, and I have to credit their efforts as one of the reasons why we’ve been able to significantly reduce the positivity rate here over the last several months,” Governor Lamont said. “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. I thank the Guard for their ongoing commitment to the people of Connecticut. And I also thank President Trump for extending the authority to deploy them at full federal cost share.”
Governor Lamont said that over the last several months the Guard has been a valuable resource in mitigating the spread of the virus, and he is hopeful that the federal government will ultimately extend the full federal cost share not just for Connecticut, but for all states for as long as the men and women of the National Guard are deployed across the country for COVID-19 response and mitigation operations.
Since its initial involvement on March 20, more than 1,000 Connecticut National Guardsmen and members of the State Militia have been called to duty to support operations designed to enhance the state’s health care infrastructure. Tasks have included the erection of mobile field hospitals, delivery and distribution of millions of pieces of personal protective equipment, nursing home inspections and support, and testing kit assembly and collection.
Headquartered at the William A. O’Neill Armory in Hartford, the Connecticut National Guard is comprised of over 5,000 men and women serving in the Air and Army National Guard.
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