State of Connecticut by His Excellency Ned Lamont Executive Order No

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
coronavirns 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 cluonic 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 kindergatten 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 Depmiment 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 vitiue 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
spotiing 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)(l2) 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
pminer, 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 Depmiment 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.
4. Extension of DMV Licensing Renewal Deadlines and Suspension of Other DMV

Requirements. Pursuant to Section 14-Sc of the Connecticut General Statutes, the Commissioner
of Motor Vehicles is authorized for the duration of the aforementioned public health and civil
preparedness emergency to issue such orders pursuant to such section as she deems necessary.
5. Modification of Police Academy Attendance Requirements. Section 7-294e-15 of the

Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, which prohibits police training academy recruits from
being absent from any basic training program for more than five days, is hereby suspended. The
Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection or his designee, subject to their
discretion, may permit leave in excess of five days for any recruit if they determine such leave to
be necessary as a result of the effects of or response to the COVID 19 pandemic; may permit a
recmit on such leave to continue basic training via distance learning; and may permit a recruit who
is unable, because of extended absence as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic, to complete the
basic training in the next available or a future training class.
This order shall take effect immediately and shall remain in effect for the duration of the aforementioned
state of emergency, unless earlier modified by me.
Dated at Hartford, Connecticut, this 12th day of March, 2020.
Ned Lamont
Governor
By His Excellency's Command
Denise W. Merrill
Secretary of the State

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State of Connecticut by His Excellency Ned Lamont Executive Order No

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STATE OF CONNECTICUT

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 7

PROTECTION OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY DURING COVID 19 PANDEMIC AND

4. Extension of DMV Licensing Renewal Deadlines and Suspension of Other DMV

5. Modification of Police Academy Attendance Requirements. Section 7-294e-15 of the

Dated at Hartford, Connecticut, this 12th day of March, 2020.

By His Excellency's Command

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