Governor Lamont Provides Update on Connecticut's Coronavirus Response Efforts

(HARTFORD, CT) – As the State of Connecticut continues taking actions in response to the global spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Governor Ned Lamont provided the following updates as of 7:00 p.m. on Monday, March 23, 2020:

Data updates on testing in Connecticut

Since yesterday’s update, an additional 88 Connecticut residents have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 415. To date, more than 4,500 tests have been conducted in Connecticut among both state and private laboratories.

A county-by-county breakdown includes:

Since yesterday, two more Connecticut residents died from complications of COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths in the state to ten. They include:

• A man in his 50s who lived in a private residence in Norwalk and was recently hospitalized at Norwalk Hospital; and
• A man in his 70s who lived in a private residence in Newington and was recently hospitalized at Saint Francis Hospital.

For several additional charts and tables containing more data groups, including a town-by-town breakdown of positive cases in each municipality and a breakdown of cases among age groups, visit ct.gov/coronavirus.

Governor Lamont signs twelfth executive order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19

Governor Lamont today signed another executive order – the twelfth since he enacted the emergency declarations – that builds upon his efforts to encourage mitigation strategies that slow down transmission of the virus.

Governor Lamont’s Executive Order No. 7K enacts the following provisions:

• Suspension of non-critical probate court operations and associated requirements: Suspends, for the duration of the public health and civil preparedness emergency, all statutory reporting and filing requirements of the Office of the Probate Court Administrator concerning probate court operations; probate court facility, location, or venue requirements; time requirements, statutes of limitation or other limitations or deadlines relating to service of process, court proceedings, or court filings; and all time requirements or deadlines related to the probate courts or their judicial officials to issue notices, hold court, hear matters, and/or render decisions.
• Suspension of non-critical Workers’ Compensation Commission operations and associated requirements: Suspends, for the duration of the public health and civic preparedness emergency, all location or venue requirements; time requirements, statutes of limitation, or other limitations or deadlines; and all time requirements or deadlines of the Workers’ Compensation Commission relating to the Workers’ Compensation Act and other statutory programs and schedules over which the commission provides adjudication, dispute resolution, administrative oversight or support.
• Authorization of remote notarization: Modifies state laws and regulations to permit any notarial act that is required under Connecticut law to be performed using an electronic device or process that allows a notary public and a remotely located individual to communicate with each other under certain conditions, including recording and live presentation of identification.
• Suspension or modification of regulatory requirements to protect public health and safety: Permits the commissioner of Public Health to temporarily waive, modify, or suspend regulatory requirements adopted by the agency or related boards or commissions deemed necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the public health.
• Suspension of certain requirements regarding the temporary hire of care workers at long-term care facilities: Allows long-term care facilities to temporarily hire care workers to address the critical need in these facilities without background checks of state and national criminal history records, expanding the availability of an existing statutory waiver process.

“Stay Safe, Stay Home” executive order directing non-essential workers to work from home goes into effect at 8PM tonight

Governor Lamont’s “Stay Safe, Stay Home” executive order directing all non-essential businesses and not-for-profit entities in Connecticut to prohibit all in-person functions goes into effect tonight at 8:00 p.m.

The governor is encouraging all businesses to employ, to the maximum extent possible, any telecommuting or work-from-home procedures that they can safely implement. The order excludes any essential business or entity providing essential services or functions, such as healthcare, food service, law enforcement, and similar critical services.

Businesses and nonprofits seeking direction related to the order are urged to read the guidance provided by the Department of Economic and Community Development.

Drive-through testing added to 5 more hospitals, bringing the statewide total of these locations to 21

Drive-through testing sites have been added at Griffin Hospital (Derby), Norwalk Hospital, Rockville General Hospital (Vernon), UConn John Dempsey Hospital (Farmington), and William H. Backus Hospital (Norwich), bringing the total number of these alternate testing sites to 21.

The latest list of drive-through testing locations includes:

• Bridgeport Hospital
• Bristol Health
• Charlotte Hungerford Hospital (Torrington)
• Danbury Hospital
• Greenwich Hospital
• Griffin Hospital (Derby)
• Hartford Hospital
• Johnson Memorial Hospital (Stafford Springs)
• Lawrence Memorial Hospital (New London)
• Manchester Memorial Hospital
• Mid-State Medical Center (Meriden)
• Norwalk Hospital
• Rockville General Hospital (Vernon)
• Saint Francis Hospital (Hartford)
• Saint Mary’s Hospital (Waterbury)
• Saint Vincent Hospital (Bridgeport)
• Stamford Hospital
• UConn John Dempsey Hospital (Farmington)
• Waterbury Hospital
• William H. Backus Hospital (Norwich)
• Yale-New Haven Hospital

No one should arrive at any of these locations and ask to be tested. Anyone experiencing symptoms must consult with their medical provider first, and then they will be referred for testing and can make an appointment at one of these facilities.

Department of Public Health Commissioner signs order easing rules for out-of-state practitioners to provide services in Connecticut

Based on concerns relative to COVID-19, Department of Public Health Commissioner Renée D. Coleman-Mitchell has signed an order permitting the temporary suspension of the requirements for licensure, registration, or certification in a number of medical professions for those who have the appropriate credentials in another state. This will allow Connecticut to accept support from neighboring states and will continue the state’s collaborative, regional approach to combating COVID-19.

Practitioners should note that until further executive action is taken, these practitioners are not able to prescribe controlled substances. This is currently being worked on by the administration.

State receives first shipments of PPE donations, including N95 respirators

As part of Governor Lamont’s request for the donation of Personal Protective Equipment that can be used by the state’s medical community, the state today received its first delivery of equipment. Gil’s Drywall of Plainville and PW Power Systems of Glastonbury both donated N95 respirators that were dropped off today at the state’s collection facility in Cheshire. Governor Lamont expressed his gratitude to these businesses on their generous donations.

Members of the public, businesses, and philanthropic organizations that are able to donate these vital materials are urged to contact the state by filling out the online form located at www.211ct.org/DonationsCOVID19.

Since the launching the request late last week, the state has received responses from more than 500 entities expressing interest in offering donations.

The Partnership for Connecticut donates more than 60,000 laptops to under-resourced districts

As classes remain canceled in schools throughout the state and schools are making every effort to promote remote learning, The Partnership for Connecticut today announced that it will be donating 60,551 laptops to students attending high school in some of the state’s most under-resourced school districts. Eligibility is limited to the high schools across the state’s 33 Alliance Districts that serve significant populations of students who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, and laptop distribution will prioritize students demonstrating the most need.

The Partnership for Connecticut is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Connecticut’s disengaged and disconnected youth and young adults access the educational and career opportunities they need to succeed in life.

For more information, read the announcement made today by the nonprofit.

Connecticut businesses urged to note that the IRS is providing a full and immediate reimbursement for COVID-19 employee medical leave costs

Connecticut Insurance Department (CID) Commissioner Andrew Mais would like small and medium-sized businesses in the state to be aware of recent IRS guidance on novel coronavirus COVID-19-related employee medical leave and new payroll tax credits. The cost of not just the leave but also of health insurance during the leave will be covered.

The U.S. Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the U.S. Department of Labor announced in IR-2020-57 that small and midsize employers can begin taking advantage of two new refundable payroll tax credits, designed to immediately and fully reimburse them, dollar-for-dollar, for the cost of providing coronavirus-related leave to their employees. This relief to employees and small and midsize businesses is provided under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Act). For COVID-19 related reasons, employees receive up to 80 hours of paid sick leave.

For more information on this, read the press release issued today by CID.

Providing information to Connecticut residents

For the most up-to-date information from the State of Connecticut on COVID-19, including an FAQ and other guidance and resources, residents are encouraged to visit ct.gov/coronavirus.

Individuals who have general questions that are not answered on the website can also call 2-1-1 for assistance. The hot line is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance and TDD/TTY access. It intended to be used by individuals who are not experiencing symptoms but may have general questions related to COVID-19. Anyone experiencing symptoms is strongly urged to contact their medical provider.