COVID-19 UPDATE: 29 new positive tests in CT, 5th death

Gov. Ned Lamont announced this evening that another 29 Connecticut residents have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 223, and that a fifth person ”“ a man in his 80s who was a resident of a nursing home in Stafford Springs ”“ has died from the disease.

A county-by-county breakdown includes:

To date, more than 3,100 tests have been conducted in Connecticut among both state and private laboratories. For data on testing performed in Connecticut, including a town-by-town breakdown of positive cases in every municipality in the state, visit ct.gov/coronavirus.

Lamont has also signed Executive Order No. 7I, which enacts the following provisions:

• Modifications to Department of Social Services benefits
  • Suspension of requirements that public assistance eligibility reinvestigations be conducted at least every 12 or 24 months
  • Suspension of copayments for full benefit dually eligible Medicare Part D beneficiaries
  • Suspension of copayments for HUSKY B clients
  • Suspension of limitations on refills of nonmaintenance medications for HUSKY beneficiaries
• Flexibility related to the Student Data Privacy Act
• Modifications related to the Department of Children and Families
  • Limits on visitation with children placed in the care and custody of DCF
  • Limits on visitors to facilities that treat children or youth with psychiatric disabilities
  • Waiver of in-person service, screening, and hearing requirements for facilities that have limited visitor access
• Modifications to Department of Consumer Protection regulations regarding pharmacies
  • Provides pharmacists the ability to refill noncontrolled substance prescriptions for up to 30 days in the event they are unable to contact the prescribing practitioner
  • Provides the commissioner of DCP with the authority to waive pharmacy operation regulations
• Suspension of requirements for corporations to hold shareholder meetings in-person
• Procedural relief for municipalities
  • Extends additional budget adoption deadlines
  • Suspends the in-person budget adoption requirement for municipalities
  • Suspends the in-person budget adoption requirement for boards of education
  • Extends municipal deadlines and waiver of penalties related to municipal planning, assessment, and taxation
  • Suspends the in-person filing requirements related to municipal planning, assessment, and taxation
  • Suspends deadlines and makes modification to public hearing and appeals requirements for assessment and taxation
  • Extends new reporting requirements on properties
  • Suspends, modifies, and clarifies certain municipal procedural requirements and time limitations regarding notice, commencement, and holding of public hearings, decisions, and appeals, including land use and other municipal boards.

More than 100 responses since launching request for Personal Protective Equipment yesterday 

Since the governor repeated his request yesterday for members of the public, businesses, and philanthropic organizations to consider donating items of Personal Protective Equipment for use in Connecticut”™s hospitals and long-term care facilities, more than 100 entities have filled out the donation form expressing interest in giving.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health is partnering with United Way 2-1-1 of Connecticut to collect responses from those willing to make donations. Anyone who has these vital materials and would like to donate them to Connecticut”™s medical community should fill out the online form located at www.211ct.org/DonationsCOVID19.

Requests received are being reviewed by staff at DPH and United Way to ensure that the donations meet the needs of Connecticut”™s medical community.

Items being requested by the state at this time include:

• N95 respirators
• Face masks/Surgical masks
• Face shields
• Surgical gowns
• Gloves (nitrile, or non-latex)
• Thermometers
• Thermometer covers (if applicable to type of thermometer)
• Hand sanitizer
• Other medical items

Department of Economic and Community Development preparing guidance on implementation of Lamont”™s executive order on nonessential business functions

The DECD is in the process of preparing guidance for businesses on how to implement the executive order the governor issued yesterday directing all nonessential business functions in Connecticut to suspend in-person operations beginning March 23, at 8 p.m. The agency”™s guidance is anticipated to be released prior to the order going into effect and will be published on the state”™s coronavirus website.