STATE OF CONNECTICUT
BY HIS EXCELLENCY NED LAMONT EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 7

PROTECTION OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY DURING COVID 19 PANDEMIC AND RESPONSE

WHEREAS, on March 10, 2020, I issued declarations of public health and civil preparedness emergencies, proclaiming a state of emergency throughout the State of Connecticut as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in the United States and confirmed spread in Connecticut; and

WHEREAS, COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that spreads easily from person to person and may result in serious illness or death; and

WHEREAS, the World Health Organization has declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic; and

WHEREAS, the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 appears to be higher for individuals who are 60 years of age or older and for those who have chronic health conditions; and

WHEREAS, there is an increased risk of rapid spread of COVID-19 among persons who are living in congregate settings, such as long-term care facilities, and most residents of long-term care facilities are at increased risk for severe COVID-19; and

WHEREAS, to reduce spread of COVID-19, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Connecticut Department of Public Health recommend implementation of community mitigation strategies to increase containn1ent of the vims and to slow down the transmission of the virus, including cancellation of large gatherings and social distancing in smaller gatherings; and

WHEREAS, Sections 10-15 and 10-16 of the Connecticut General Statutes require that public schools be in session for at least 180 days during each year and for nine hundred hours of actual schoolwork for full­ day kindergarten and grades one to twelve, inclusive, and four hundred and fifty hours for half-day kindergarten; and

WHEREAS, due to these unprecedented circumstances and because of the existence of this public health emergency and the anticipated temporary closure of schools due to COVID-19 risks where such local and regional boards of education deem it necessary to protect the safety and public health, multiple school districts may not be able to fulfill these requirements; and

WHEREAS, the Connecticut Department of Public Health and my administration continue to manage the public health aspects of this incident;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, NED LAMONT, Governor of the State of Connecticut, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the State of Connecticut, do hereby ORDER AND DIRECT:

1. Prohibition of Large Gatherings. Throughout the State, gatherings of 250 people or more for social and recreational activities including, but not limited to, community, civic, leisure, or spotting events; parades; concerts; festivals; movie screenings; plays or performances; conventions; and similar activities; are prohibited. Such prohibition shall remain in effect until midnight on April 30, 2020, unless modified by a future Executive Order. Nothing in this order shall prohibit any spiritual gathering or worship service. Violators of this order may be subject to criminal penalties pursuant to Section 28-22 of the Connecticut General Statutes.

2. Limits on Nursing Home Visitors. Section 19a-550(b)(12) of the Connecticut General Statutes, specifically providing that each patient in a nursing home facility, residential care home or chronic disease hospital "may associate ... privately with persons of the patient's choice, including other patients," is hereby modified to provide that the Commissioner of Public Health may issue restrictions on the number, category and frequency of outside visitors and the screening and protective measures as the Commissioner may deem necessary to assure the health and welfare of patients in a nursing home facility, residential care home or chronic disease hospital, provided that nothing in this order or any order by the Commissioner may prohibit a visit, where sufficient protective measures are able to be put in place, from 1) at least one family member, domestic partner, or other person designated by the patient, each day; 2) a patient's attorney, conservator, or any process server related to matters under the jurisdiction of the Probate Court; 3) persons necessary to conduct hearings under the jurisdiction of the Probate Court; or 4) a person authorized by law to oversee or investigate the provision of care and services (e.g. ombudsman). Except as provided herein regarding visitors, nothing in this order shall suspend or modify the provisions of Sec. 19a-550(b)(l2) providing the right to communicate privately with persons of the patient's choice, send and receive the patient's personal mail unopened and make and receive telephone calls privately, unless medically contraindicated, as documented by the patient's physician or advanced practice registered nurse in the patient's medical record.

3. Waiver of 180-Day School Year. For the 2019-2020 school year, the mandates of Sections 10- 15 and 10-16 of the Connecticut General Statutes, and any associated implementing regulations or policies, requiring 180 school day sessions and the associated requirements for a threshold number of hours of actual school work, are immediately suspended for all schools that are closed for any period of time due to COVID-19 risks and, upon the reopening of the schools, hold school sessions through June 30, 2020. Nothing in this order shall preclude schools from satisfying the existing mandates of Sections 10-15 and 10-16 sooner than June 30, 2020 through distance learning or other alternatives approved by the Commissioner of Education. The Commissioner shall approve any such alternatives if they are filed with the State Department of Education on or before June 1, 2020 and consist of an attestation by the Superintendent or school leadership official, and signed by the Chair of the local or regional board of education, stating that the alternative methods comply with all legal and regulatory requirements.