Coronavirus CT: Alcohol Ok'd For Sale With Take-Out Food Orders

CONNECTICUT — As more people continue to get tested each day the number of positive tests in Connecticut grows significantly. The number of confirmed positive tests in the state stands at 159 and three deaths have been reported.

A Ridgefield resident and two New Canaan residents have died as a result of the virus. And State Rep. Jane Garibay, a Democrat who represents Windsor and Windsor Locks, announced she has tested positive for the new virus.

“I wanted to let you know that I am self quarantining and resting comfortably at home. Thank you for all the well wishes, and I look forward to when we can all be together again,” Garibay wrote, as reported by NBC Connecticut.

Thursday saw the biggest spike in positive cases in the state as an additional 63 cases were announced. This includes the first cases to be reported out of Tolland and Windham Counties. The only county in Connecticut that has not yet reported a positive case is New London County. A total of 102 out of 159 positive tests are in Fairfield County, which is on the border with Westchester County in New York, one of the hardest hit areas in the country.

To date, there have been three fatalities in Connecticut due to complications related to COVID-19. Those three cases include a man in his 80s from Ridgefield, which was announced Wednesday, a man in his 80s from New Canaan, and another man in his 90s who was also from New Canaan. Both of the New Canaan men were living in private homes.

Alcohol Can Now Be Sold With Take Out Food In Some Cases

· Permits certain restaurants and other eating establishments to sell alcohol with take-out food orders under certain conditions: The order permits any business with an active restaurant, café or tavern liquor permit issued by the Department of Consumer Protection to sell sealed containers of alcoholic liquor for pick up at such restaurant, café or tavern under the following conditions: (i) the sale shall accompany a pick-up order of food prepared on the premises; (ii) the type of alcoholic liquor sold for off-premise consumption shall be the same as what the permit type would have permitted for on-premise consumption prior to Executive Order 7D, and (iii) the hours of such sales that include alcoholic liquor as part of the take-out order shall be the same as those for a package store. These changes go into effect noon Friday.

Delivery of alcoholic liquor by licensees with these permit types is not permitted. Businesses with manufacturing permits, such as craft breweries and similar establishments, may sell alcohol for off-premise consumption according to the existing terms of their permits. (To stay on top of real-time coronavirus updates in your town and Connecticut sign up for Patch’s free newsletter here.)

See related: 44 Patients Test Positive For Coronavirus At A Connecticut Hospital

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4 Police Officers Test Positive; Communities Enact Gathering Ban

New Date For Presidential Primary In CT

· Postpones Connecticut’s presidential primary to June 2: Connecticut’s 2020 presidential primary had been scheduled for April 28. The decision to move the date was made in coordination with Secretary of the State Denise Merrill and in consultation with other states that had a primary scheduled for the same date.

Court Changes

· Suspends non-critical court operations and associated requirements: In close coordination and consultation with the Judicial Branch, the executive order suspends, for the duration of this public health and civil preparedness emergency, all statutory 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 courts’ obligations to issue notices, hold court, hear matters and/or render decisions.

More Businesses To Close Tonight

· Directs the temporary closure of barbershops, hair salons, tattoo or piercing parlors, and related businesses: Effective at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 20, 2020, the order directs the temporary closure to the public of all establishments rendering services by barbers, hairdressers and cosmeticians, nail technicians, electrologists, estheticians, eyelash technicians, and tattoo and piercing providers, including, but not limited to, barbershops, beauty shops, hairdressing salons, nail salons, spas, kiosks, and tattoo or piercing establishments. The commissioner of Public Health may issue any order she deems necessary to implement or modify such prohibition.

More Medical Services Allowed Via The Phone

· Expands telehealth services for Connecticut residents: The order allows patients and healthcare providers, consistent with federal revisions to HIPAA, to communicate over a broad range of platforms. Those platforms can include audio-only telephone calls for patients and providers with a prior relationship. In addition, it allows patients to access out-of-state telehealth providers, allows commercial health insurers and Medicaid to cover telehealth services for all in-network providers, regardless of communication platform or the provider’s state of practice, and it allows providers to offer telehealth services from a location other than their licensed facility. Finally, the order also caps the amount providers availing themselves of this new flexibility may charge patients for telehealth services in Connecticut when providers are out-of-network or when patients are uninsured.

· Suspends in-person investigative visits regarding reports of elder abuse: The order temporarily suspends the requirement for a state official conducting an investigation of elder abuse to perform an in-person visit to the elderly person and extends the time required to report the results of the investigation.

Connecticut now has 15 drive-through testing locations

In addition to the DPH State Laboratory, there are now 15 alternative locations throughout Connecticut that are offering drive-through testing. They include:

· Bridgeport Hospital
· Bristol Hospital
· Charlotte Hungerford Hospital (Torrington)
· Danbury Hospital
· Greenwich Hospital
· Hartford Hospital
· Johnson Memorial Hospital (Stafford Springs)
· Lawrence Memorial Hospital (New London)
· Manchester Memorial Hospital
· Mid-State Medical Center (Meriden)
· Stamford Hospital
· Saint Francis Hospital (Hartford)
· Saint Mary’s Hospital (Waterbury)
· Waterbury Hospital
· Yale-New Haven Hospital

As a reminder, no individual should arrive at any of these locations and request to be tested. Anyone experiencing symptoms should consult with their medical provider, who will then refer them for testing.

Department of Transportation makes changes to bus operations to ensure the safety of passengers and drivers

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is making several adjustments to its CTtransit and CTfastrak bus operations in order to ensure the safety of passengers and drivers. Effective immediately, passengers will board from the rear door with the exception of passengers in wheelchairs and others who require the bus to kneel. Additionally, approximately 100 CTtransit buses have been equipped with transparent, impermeable barriers providing a partition between drivers and passengers. Buses are operating on normal weekday and weekend schedules. CTtransit service updates can be found at www.cttransit.com. For more information on the bus adjustments, click here.

Train Changes

In other CTDOT news, the CTrail Hartford Line and Shore Line East train schedules have been reduced, and the Metro-North New Haven Line continues to maintain operations. Commuters should check www.hartfordline.com, www.shorelineeast.com, and www.mta.info/mnr for service updates.

Service Plazas Remain Open

Service plazas on I-95, I-395, and the Merritt and Wilbur Cross Parkways, as well as rest areas on I-91 and I-84 remain open for highway travelers. Take-out food is being served but visitors are being directed to purchase their items and remove them from the facilities to minimize any congregation of people. Rest area and service plaza facilities are continually being cleaned and sanitized. Highway maintenance projects are continuing as planned.

“I especially want to express my gratitude to all of the transit workers in Connecticut who are maintaining critical operations in order to ensure that the people of our state can safely get to where they need to be during this difficult time, including healthcare professionals and first responders who need to get to their jobs,” Lamont said. “I want each of them to know that we are grateful for every effort they are making to ensure our transportation system can continue operating and people can get to where they need to go, particularly in the event of an emergency.”

Banking Commissioner Perez reassures Connecticut residents on the safety of their deposits in financial institutions

Amid continuing volatility in the financial markets and an economy quickly slowing due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Banking Commissioner Jorge Perez is reassuring Connecticut residents that their money is safe in banks and credit unions.

“While it is natural to worry about the safety of your money in uncertain times, the money Connecticut residents have in financial institutions will continue to be insured up to $250,000,” Commissioner Perez said. “More so then ever before, customers and members can have the peace of mind knowing their deposits are secured though the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for banks and the National Credit Union Association for credit unions.”