There is a new incentive in place for unemployed Connecticut residents getting back to work.
Starting Monday, the state will offer residents starting a new full-time job a $1,000 bonus at the end of two months of work. The incentive will be available to a total of 10,000 individuals.
The incentive comes as many businesses are trying to get back to normal as the state prepares to lift most of the remaining COVID-19-related restrictions currently in place.
There are a lot of jobs open across the state looking to hire employees.
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"This is a time when people want to hire and I want to make sure people have a full incentive in place to get back to work," Lamont said during a press conference Monday.
People must be unemployed for at least eight to 12 weeks to be eligible to receive the bonus, according to Lamont. The money for the incentive comes from CARES Act funding.
People will be able to sign up online at the Department of Revenue Services website soon.
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COVID-19 Numbers & Vaccination Information
Gov. Ned Lamont said Connecticut's COVID-19 positivity rate is 1.33% and hospitalizations continue to decline steadily.
With a net decrease of 28 hospitalizations over the past three days, there are now 170 people with coronavirus in Connecticut hospitals.
Of nearly 50,000 tests, 662 came back positive.
An additional 21 people have died from the virus since Friday. The state's death toll is now 8,194.
The state has now administered over 2 million first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Approximately 1.7 million more individuals are fully vaccinated.
May 19: Reopening Connecticut
On Wednesday, the governor is lifting most remaining COVID-19-related restrictions and he is also ending the indoor mask mandate for people who are fully vaccinated.
Lamont’s decision comes after the CDC announced last week that fully vaccinated people can stop wearing masks in most indoor settings.
Some businesses might keep the requirements, so you might still need to wear a mask in some places even if you are fully vaccinated.
Dunkin' Donuts Park in Hartford will not be requiring face masks as of Wednesday. The Hartford Yard Goats are encouraging people who are not fully vaccinated to wear a mask at the ballpark. They said the stadium will be at full capacity as of Wednesday.
Wednesday is the day that the state of Connecticut will lift many restrictions that have been in place since the beginning of the pandemic, including size limits and social distancing rules for businesses, such as large event venues, bars and nightclubs.
Bars have been partially open since May 1, but those that don’t serve food are able to be open for service outdoors only.
Food is still required when serving alcohol indoors until Wednesday.
On May 19, bars that do not serve food can open for service indoors.
The governor said masks will still be required in certain settings such as healthcare facilities, facilities housing vulnerable populations, public and private transit, correctional facilities, schools, and childcare.
