COVID-19 Connecticut Capitol Update 5-12-20
- The Governor established an online web portal of resources for businesses, consumers, and others during this public health crisis. Visit www.ct.gov/coronavirus for more information.
- For a comprehensive overview of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) assembled by the Governor’s Office, please click here.
- O’Neill and Associates has created a useful resource page to navigate the Small Business Administration (SBA) financial assistance programs, which can be found here.
- As of May 11, 2020, 33,765 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported. The virus has appeared in all 8 counties, 1,212 patients are hospitalized (down 30 patients statewide), and 3,008 residents have passed away. 132,508 tests have been conducted so far.
- Hospitalizations in Connecticut have been steadily declining for 19 days, with only a 1 day outlier increase in the middle of that dataset.
- A full breakdown of those cases can be found here.
- The State Capitol complex will remain closed until further notice.
- No date has been set to hold a special session at this time, though legislative leaders have indicated they would like to return sometime in June.
- Governor Lamont has issued a total of 39 executive orders since March 12, 2020.
- Several orders have also been issued by the Departments of Public Health, Consumer Protection, Insurance, Health Strategy, Motor Vehicles, Revenue Services, Housing, Transportation, the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, and other agencies—which can also be found here.
- Last night, the Governor signed Executive Order No. 7LL which:
- Modifies the petitioning process for the August primary: Makes modifications to the existing statutory petitioning process for minor parties, unaffiliated petitioning candidates, and major party candidates who fail to receive fifteen percent at a major party district convention and wish to run in the August primary as follows:
- Reduces by 30 percent the number of signatures required;
- Extends the deadline for submission of petitions by two days; and
- Permits an individual to sign and mail or email to a candidate a petition containing only that individual’s signature, provided the individual makes all the required representations and attestations under penalty of false statement.
- Modifies the petitioning process for the August primary: Makes modifications to the existing statutory petitioning process for minor parties, unaffiliated petitioning candidates, and major party candidates who fail to receive fifteen percent at a major party district convention and wish to run in the August primary as follows:
- To watch the Governor’s full briefing from last night, please click here.
- Until further notice, all residents are required to wear, at least, a cloth face covering or mask when in public spaces if social distancing is not possible.
- The order for “non-essential” businesses to stay closed is in effect through, at least, May 20, 2020.
- The Department of Economic and Community Development has committed an additional $3 million to the COVID-19 Business Response program, which provides financial relief to minority-owned and women-owned small businesses negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
- The Department of Economic and Community Development released guidance applicable to the certain businesses that will be allowed to open on May 20th if they follow specific guidelines.
- The Connecticut Department of Public Health distributed its first allotment of Remdesivir, a total of 1,200 doses, to acute care hospitals across the state.
- Governor Lamont announced that Connecticut has received its largest shipment of PPE to date from suppliers in China. In total, the state received:
- 6 million surgical masks;
- 500,000 protective masks;
- 100,000 surgical gowns; and
- 100,000 temporal thermometers.
- The PPE is in the process of being sorted and then will be delivered to frontline workers, including first responders, hospital staff, long-term care facility staff, direct care providers, and other people on the front lines.
- As of May 11th, the state has delivered 15,186,349 pieces of PPE to those in need, including:
- 5,852,086 surgical masks
- 956,211 KN95 masks;
- 326,656 N95 masks;
- 448,435 face shields;
- 40,587 surgical gowns;
- 51,248 Tyvek coveralls; and
- 7,511,126 non-sterile gloves.
