Lamont provide update on Connecticut’s coronavirus response efforts (05/20/2020)

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 Wednesday, May 20, 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.

Governor Lamont signs 44^th executive order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19

Governor Lamont today signed another executive order – the 44^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. 7QQ enacts the following provisions:

• Modifications to permit the use of absentee ballots to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission during August 11, 2020 primary
• Clarification that orders by commissioners issued pursuant to the governor’s executive orders are not regulations

Connecticut Department of Public Health reports findings of deficiency in infection control in nursing homes

The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) today posted online findings of deficiency in 20 additional nursing homes. The findings relate to infection control and were made following focused infection control surveys of all 213 nursing homes in Connecticut that were conducted in partnership with the Connecticut National Guard and inspectors from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These involved unannounced, in-person visits to nursing homes and have also resulted in enhanced staff training and additional deliveries of personal protective equipment (PPE). A key infection control procedure cited in four of the deficiency findings is cohorting, which refers to housing or grouping together nursing home residents tested positive for COVID-19 (or any other infectious disease) in order to slow down the spread of a viral infection.

There were two deficiency findings for improper notification inside the facility and to families, three findings based on improper physical distancing between residents, four findings of various other infection control problems, and 11 findings related to improper use or cleaning of PPE.

By law, the facilities have time to review and potentially dispute the findings of deficiency, and must come up with a plan of corrective action that is approved by DPH. Once the plans of correction are approved, the findings can be posted online. Since visitation to any skilled nursing facility has been banned during the course of the pandemic, DPH has posted these findings publicly online through Connecticut’s e-license website.

To view the recent findings of deficiency and corrective plans of action for individual nursing homes, search the e-license website for nursing home inspection documents that were filed between April 1, 2020 and the current date.

State establishes enforcement protocols for safe reopening

The State of Connecticut has established new enforcement protocols to ensure businesses follow the Sector Rules for May 20^th Reopen designed to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Enforcement will be done by local health officials, local law enforcement, and municipalities. These agencies have the authority to inspect businesses for compliance with public health and the reopen sector rules established to protect businesses, employees, and residents from spreading or contracting COVID-19.

In most instances, a first violation will result in a warning and education by local law enforcement. In instances of a second or more egregious violation, law enforcement will refer complaint to the local public health department or chief elected official designee. The local public health department and chief elected official’s designee may order business closure.

Residents and employees who want to report noncompliance should contact local law enforcement or use the online complaint form at ct.gov/coronavirus. Those who do not have internet access can call 2-1-1 and an operator will fill out the form on their behalf. After submitting the form, users will receive a customized response pertinent to the complaint, including contact information for local law enforcement, local public health, CONN-OSHA, or OSHA.

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection outlines state park operations plan heading into summer season

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today released an operation plan that outlines current guidelines around the operation and use of Connecticut state park grounds, trails, beaches, boat launches, and other areas amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The resource – available at portal.ct.gov/deep-parkscovid19 – provides a “one stop shop” for the latest information on outdoor recreation offerings administered by DEEP.

As the state begins a phased reopening of its economy, the vast majority of state parks remain open, as they have been throughout the pandemic. The restrictions that they’ve been operating under, such as daily capacity limits, social distancing guidelines for visitors, and use of face coverings, also remain in place.

For more information, read the press release issued today by DEEP.

Connecticut insurance commissioner approves expansion of free life insurance coverage for frontline health care workers from MassMutual

Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Andrew N. Mais today announced that additional frontline health care workers and volunteers in Connecticut are now eligible to receive up to $25,000 of free term life insurance. The Connecticut Insurance Department has expedited approval of the expansion of HealthBridge, a new Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) life insurance product that offers free guaranteed issue policies to frontline health care workers and eligible volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic. MassMutual has committed to providing $3 billion of insurance coverage through HealthBridge to these deserving and resilient individuals.

For more information, read the press release issued today by the Connecticut Insurance Department.

Governor Lamont encourages residents to sign up for the state’s CTAlert notification system

Governor Lamont is encouraging Connecticut residents to sign up for CTAlert, the state’s emergency alert system, which provides text message notifications to users. To subscribe, text the keyword COVIDCT to 888-777.

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 hotline is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance. Relay services can be accessed by calling 7-1-1. Anyone who is out-of-state or using Relay can connect to Connecticut 2-1-1 toll free by dialing 1-800-203-1234. The hotline 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.