Coronavirus In CT: State To Waive 180-Day Requirement For Schools

HARTFORD, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont said he issued several executive orders to mitigate the spread of coronavirus, including waiving the mandate that schools be in session for at least 180 days.

Lamont also prohibited all events in the state with more than 250 people, clarified visitor restrictions at all nursing and convalescent homes, authorized the state Department of Motor Vehicles to extend renewal deadlines to reduce crowds at DMV branches, relaxed attendance rules for police academy trainees, and ordered a 90-day extension on all license renewals.

As many Connecticut school districts made the decision to close schools due to the coronavirus outbreak, Lamont ordered the state law requiring schools to be in session for at least 180 days to be modified. The governor’s emergency order requires that schools be in session for 180 days or by June 30 at the latest. This means that if a school has not been in session for 180 days by June 30, the school district has the authority to make that date the last day of the school year.

State education officials said 19 school districts closed or are planning to close.

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Connecticut's epidemiologist said coronavirus is spreading and will come in two waves

Connecticut Department of Public Health epidemiologist Dr. Matthew Cartter said that nationwide, the illness will come in two waves — during the spring and fall.

Health officials said the virus is expected to expand into New Haven and Litchfield counties next. Up to 20 percent of Connecticut's residents could get the virus, health officials said Thursday.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health State Laboratory confirmed three additional individuals tested positive. A total of 95 individuals have been tested at the state laboratory; six were found to be positive and 89 negative. One of the latest to test positive is a child from Stratford.

Anyone who believes they might be experiencing symptoms of coronavirus such as fever, cough, or difficulty breathing should first contact a health care provider for screening, unless in need of emergency care. The health care provider will advise the patient on whether a test is recommended.

Lamont was joined by Josh Gabelle, the state's chief operating officer, and Cartter at the Emergency Operations Center in Hartford.

Gov. Ned Lamont COVID-19-re... by Ellyn Santiago on Scribd

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New details on Connecticut's new positive cases Thursday

Of the three new cases, one is a resident of Stamford who is a female in her 60s and recently returned from a trip to Italy. She is currently hospitalized at Stamford Hospital. Another case involves a young woman in her 20s who lives in New York but was seen as an outpatient at Greenwich Hospital. She is recovering at home. The third positive case involves a child who lives in Stratford and is currently at home recovering. That child had been exposed to another known positive case.

On Wednesday, another positive case was announced: an elderly man from New Canaan who is being treated at Norwalk Hospital. Previously, a Wilton man and a Bethlehem woman tested positive for coronavirus. Two New York residents who worked at hospitals in Danbury, Norwalk and Bridgeport also tested positive for the virus.

Cartter said the number of cases is going to increase significantly. He said the virus is spreading and soon there will be "many" cases, especially in the area where the state borders Westchester County in New York. A containment area was established in New Rochelle, New York, identified as a coronavirus hot spot, to curb the spread of the virus. Cartter said it is very common for residents from both states to travel back and forth.

He said he expects to see the virus spread into Litchfield and New Haven counties and perhaps along the Massachusetts border.

"It will only be a matter of time before this will be widespread through Connecticut," Cartter said. "If you have fever and cough, assume you have COVID, especially in that part of the state."

Meanwhile, there continues to be a global shortage of personal protective equipment for health care workers and others who need to be in the presence of someone who may be infected with COVID-19. The state has made an emergency request from the Strategic National Supply for a total of 540,000 additional N-95 protective masks.

During a news conference Tuesday, Lamont declared a state of emergency, which is used when there's a disaster. That happens in the case of hurricanes, for example. Since 2011, there have been five such declarations in Connecticut and all were weather-related.

The emergency declaration for coronavirus and its potential impact on public heath is "unprecedented," lawmakers said Wednesday.

How will a state of emergency affect your life?

Every state of emergency is different and may result in different protective actions on behalf of members of the public. During crisis situations it is important stay informed and Patch is here with you.

The emergency declaration could affect travel, schools, businesses and government offices.

Connecticut officials taking precautions for public transit

The state Department of Transportation is continuing to take precautions in response to COVID-19. These actions, which began last week, are being conducted for all CTrail Hartford Line, CTrail Shore Line East, and New Haven Line (Metro-North) commuter rail services, as well as all CTtransit and local transit district bus services throughout the state. These measures include:

• Nightly sanitizing of all trains and buses including an interior wipe down of high contact surfaces using enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols recommended by the CDC.
• Station operators have increased cleaning of stations using CDC-recommended cleaning products and methods.
• At our busiest train stations, Stamford, Bridgeport and New Haven, touch points such as door handles, escalator handrails and elevator buttons are being wiped down multiple times each day.

Coronavirus information for Connecticut residents

For the most up-to-date information from state officials on coronavirus, including guidance and other resources, all residents in the state 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 information line is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance and TDD/TTY access for those with a hearing impairment. The hotline only 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 to seek treatment.

Connecticut Insurance Department notifies travel insurers on cancellation requests

Connecticut Insurance Department Commissioner Andrew N. Mais issued a notice on Wednesday to all travel insurers conducting business in Connecticut. The notice instructs insurers to accommodate travel cancellation requests under the terms of the policies, taking into account the seriousness of the circumstances and the emergency declaration issued by Lamont on Tuesday.

Mais recommended that consumers carefully review their travel insurance purchases for upcoming trips and also verify coverage applicability if considering a purchase of travel insurance.