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 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13, 2020:

Data updates on testing in Connecticut

The following is a summary of the day-to-day newly reported data on cases, deaths, and tests in Connecticut. It is important to note that these newly reported updates include data that occurred over the last several days to a week. All data in this report are preliminary, and data for previous dates will be updated as new reports are received and data errors are corrected.

County-by-county breakdown:

For several additional graphs and tables containing more data, including a list of cases in every municipality, visit ct.gov/coronavirus and click the link that is labeled, “COVID-19 Data Tracker.”

Governor Lamont signs 75^th executive order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19

Governor Lamont today signed another executive order – the 75^th since he enacted the emergency declarations – that builds upon his efforts to encourage mitigation strategies that slow down transmission of the virus. Executive Order No. 9G enacts the following provisions:

• Municipal authority to revert to the more restrictive pre-October 8, 2020 size and capacity limitations and rules for certain businesses and gatherings: Permits, under certain conditions, the ability of municipal chief executives in towns and cities that have been identified by the Connecticut Department of Public Health as having a higher infection rate the option of reverting to the previously issued Phase 2 rules.

Weekly update to the regional travel advisory: Michigan, Ohio, and Virginia meet metrics to qualify, no areas removed

The regional travel advisory between Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York that directs incoming travelers from states with a significant community spread of COVID-19 to self-quarantine for a 14-day period was updated today: Michigan, Ohio, and Virginia have been added to the list of impacted locations that meet the metrics to qualify, and no states or territories were removed from the list this week.

The requirement to quarantine applies to any person traveling into Connecticut from a state with a  positive case rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, or higher than a 10 percent test positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average. It also applies to any person arriving into Connecticut from a country for which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice.

Anyone arriving to Connecticut from any of the impacted locations is required to fill out a travel health form upon their arrival. The form can be filled out online at ct.gov/travelform.

The list of impacted locations is updated once per week every Tuesday. As of today, the full list of impacted locations under the travel advisory includes:

1. Alabama
2. Alaska
3. Arkansas
4. Colorado
5. Delaware
6. Florida
7. Georgia
8. Guam
9. Idaho
10. Illinois
11. Indiana
12. Iowa
13. Kansas
14. Kentucky
15. Louisiana
16. Michigan
17. Minnesota
18. Mississippi
19. Missouri
20. Montana
21. Nebraska
22. Nevada
23. New Mexico
24. North Carolina
25. North Dakota
26. Ohio
27. Oklahoma
28. Puerto Rico
29. Rhode Island
30. South Carolina
31. South Dakota
32. Tennessee
33. Texas
34. Utah
35. Virginia
36. West Virginia
37. Wisconsin
38. Wyoming

For the most up-to-date information on the regional travel advisory, including an extensive list of frequently asked questions, visit ct.gov/Coronavirus/travel.

Connecticut Department of Public Health monitoring health and safety at Backus Hospital during labor strike by nurses

The Connecticut Department of Public Health is monitoring health and safety standards for patients at Backus Hospital in Norwich following a labor strike by 400 unionized nurses that began at 7:00 a.m. today.

According to state and federal laws, the department has two primary responsibilities related to labor actions at acute care hospitals. Those include ensuring adequate replacement nurse staffing due to the strike, and conducting random, daily monitoring visits to Backus Hospital during the strike to ensure that quality standards for safety and patient care are being upheld despite the labor action. As part of the inspection process, Department of Public Health inspectors are reviewing staffing, observing patient care, reviewing medical records, and ensuring that adequate supplies are available.

“We at the Department of Public Health are hoping that both labor and management at Backus Hospital can work out their differences soon so this strike can end, but in the meantime we are doing our duty to ensure continuity of quality care and safety for patients,” Public Health Acting Commissioner Dr. Deidre Gifford said. “As of this morning, we have executed our operations plan to verify training of any replacement nurses at Backus Hospital and conduct health and safety inspections at the hospital now that the strike has started. We have a qualified team of inspectors at DPH authorized to conduct as many on-site strike monitoring inspections as needed at any time of day during a strike. We want to reassure families of Backus Hospital patients who may be impacted that we will be vigilant and do what is necessary to make sure your loved ones are being properly cared for the duration of this labor action.”

Prior to the beginning of the strike, the Department of Public Health reviewed the strike contingency plan provided by Backus Hospital. The plan was reviewed to determine if the hospital has made adequate arrangements to continue providing patients with uninterrupted services during any strike action. This includes a staffing contingency plan. The Department of Public Health has the statutory authority to take emergency action against any health care facility found to be non-compliant with the strike contingency plan or fails to adequately protect the patients.

Members of the public who have questions or concerns about care provided in a hospital or who want more information about the state’s monitoring activities can call the Department of Public Health Facility Licensing Section at 860-509-7400 or send an email to DPH.strike.info@ct.gov.

Providing information to Connecticut residents

For the most up-to-date information from the State of Connecticut on COVID-19, residents are encouraged to visit ct.gov/coronavirus. Residents can also subscribe to text message alerts from the state by texting the keyword COVIDCT to 888-777.

Individuals who have general questions that are not answered on the website can call 2-1-1 for assistance. The hotline is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance. Anyone who is out-of-state or requires a toll-free number can connect to Connecticut 2-1-1 by dialing 1-800-203-1234. This is intended to be used by individuals who are not experiencing symptoms but may have general questions related to COVID-19. Anyone who is experiencing symptoms are strongly urged to contact their medical provider.