Gov. Ned Lamont outlined where the state plans to spend $1 billion in federal funding during a Thursday afternoon news conference.

All COVID-19 restrictions, aside from having to wear a mask indoors if you’re unvaccinated, were lifted on Wednesday. Lamont has increasingly turned his attention toward Connecticut’s economy in recent news conferences, with state budget negotiations ongoing and a push to employ more workers.

On Thursday, he said the state would end with an approximately $470 million budget surplus, with the state still at $3 billion in its rainy day fund. He reiterated that he doesn’t think the state needs any new taxes or tax increases in its upcoming budget. And he touted the fact that last week, several agencies upgraded Connecticut’s credit rating.

A significant portion of the governor’s remarks on Thursday focused on where $1 billion of the federal money will go, including child care expansion, home visits, summer programs, debt-free community college, mental health, affordable health care, workforce development, affordable housing, criminal justice, the environment and an equity investment fund for small businesses.

Lamont said the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the necessity of affordable housing.

“The federal money we got has $56 million for affordable housing,” he said. “I care very much about transit-oriented development, getting affordable housing in downtown areas. But that said, I also like the fact that you have the accessory apartment piece to the zoning bill being considered by the legislature right now. There are thousands of additional units that attach to homes all over the state, not just in the cities, but in the suburban and small towns as well.”

This federal money could become a recurring investment if the state is able to prove the funding was effective. Lamont said that with workforce development, for example, a metric could be how many people got a job. With child care expansion, he said, the state could check in with schools a couple of years in the future to see if they felt the money had helped children and their parents.

“The equity investment fund is really demonstrable. Maybe not within two years, but by two years we can see whether it was a flop or if the business stabilized,” the governor said.

Lamont also reflected on President Joe Biden’s visit to New London on Wednesday to deliver the Coast Guard Academy’s commencement address. Biden opened his nearly half-hour speech by mentioning various Coast Guard leaders and politicians in attendance, including Lamont, who the president said has “been a good friend for a long time.” Lamont said he thought Biden’s speech was “pretty impressive.”

“He was out there for close to three hours, shook every hand, interestingly, delivered the diplomas. I thought he gave a pretty interesting speech, and we did have a chance to catch up briefly afterwards,” the governor said. “I told him how the American Rescue Plan was really important not just as support services for people in need, but about getting people back to work, how child care was also about getting people back to work. I told him about the $1,000 incentive bonus we have. The jury’s out, we’ll see how big a difference that makes. He was very interested in that, as well.”

Lamont said Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris seem to like Connecticut after the state received visits from each in recent months.

Updated COVID-19 statistics

The governor and his chief operating officer, Josh Geballe, both said they were impressed with how quickly 12- to 15-year-olds were able to get vaccinated after only a week — 20% have received at least their first shot of a vaccine. Overall, 2,068,087 first doses and 3,670,711 total doses have been administered, with 1,731,879 people fully vaccinated.

Of seniors 65 or older, 92% have received at least their first dose, and 85% have been fully vaccinated; of all adults 18-plus, 73% have received at least their first dose, and 57% have been fully vaccinated; of the total population of the state, 60% of people have received their first dose, and 49% have been fully vaccinated. Connecticut outpaces the national average in every category.

The state’s latest COVID-19 statistics showed that in Connecticut on Thursday, 206 new cases were detected among 22,265 tests in the prior 24 hours, a positivity rate of 0.93%. Related hospitalizations decreased by four to 141, while four additional deaths pushed the state’s toll since the pandemic began in March 2020 to 8,208.

New London County has had 22,392 total cases and 448 deaths so far, meaning the county has reported three additional deaths in the past week. The county had nine people hospitalized with the disease on Thursday. Lawrence + Memorial Hospital reported four COVID-19 hospitalizations, and Westerly Hospital reported one.

Day Staff Writer Brian Hallenbeck contributed to this report.

s.spinella@theday.com