COVID-19 LATEST: Lamont says to stay the course on social distancing; Relief for renters coming
Gov. Ned Lamont used his daily briefing this morning primarily to wish Connecticut residents a happy and safe holiday, and to remind everyone to continue observing social distancing mandates.
“We’re fighting a war against this virus ”“ a war that never is won,” he said. “This silent enemy doesn’t just surrender.”
The governor said that, as the state’s COVID-19 numbers appear to be improving, he is receiving more emails and texts from small businesses petitioning him to allow them to reopen.
“There’s an urgency to get back to our everyday lives,” Lamont said. “But now is not the time to relax the social distancing.”
The county-by-county breakdown as of 5:30 p.m. tonight includes:
| County | Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 Cases | Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 Hospitalizations | Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19-Associated Deaths |
| Fairfield County | 5,180 | 685 | 203 |
| Hartford County | 1,615 | 296 | 88 |
| Litchfield County | 346 | 32 | 16 |
| Middlesex County | 240 | 28 | 17 |
| New Haven County | 2,383 | 493 | 98 |
| New London County | 156 | 17 | 7 |
| Tolland County | 152 | 6 | 14 |
| Windham County | 59 | 5 | 1 |
| Pending address validation | 407 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 10,538 | 1,562 | 448 |
As of this morning, Stamford led the state with 1,113 positive cases, followed by Norwalk (671), Danbury (632), Bridgeport (564), New Haven (461), Waterbury (400), Greenwich (288) and Hartford (270).
Last night Lamont signed Executive Order No. 7W that enacts the following provisions:
- Suspension and modification of tax deadlines and collection efforts pursuant to Executive Order No. 7S, Section 6: Modifies Executive Order No. 7S, Section 6 regarding to make tax deferral and interest-rate reduction programs for eligible taxpayers, businesses, nonprofits, and residents who have been economically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic also apply to taxes and utility charges from quasi-municipal corporations. It also clarifies the time periods for which that applies.
- No increased experience rating based on COVID-19 unemployment claims: Modifies state laws surrounding the requirement for employers to be charged an “experience rating” so their unemployment premiums are not unduly increased because of the high number of claims caused by COVID-19.
- Coil cleaning requirements modified: Modifies state regulations so that bars, restaurants, breweries and wineries that normally sell beer or wine for on premises consumption and remain closed for on premises consumption pursuant to Executive Order No. 7D are not required to clean beer or wine pipe lines on a weekly basis, unless growlers, crowlers or cans for off-premise consumption are sold pursuant to Executive Orders No. 7G or 7T. Any premise that is not cleaning lines on a weekly basis will not be permitted to begin serving draught beer or wine after Executive Order No. 7D is lifted until a coil and line cleaning occurs.
- Delivery signature requirement suspended: Modifies state statutes so that consumers do not need to provide a signature for delivery or curb-side pickup of alcoholic beverages, provided that the seller verifies that the consumer receiving the alcoholic beverages 21 or older and is not intoxicated.
- Return of permit not necessary for temporary closures pursuant to Executive Order No. 7D: Waives the requirement that businesses with certain permits that have closed for 60 days or less notify the Department of Consumer Protection of the closure, so long as the closure is the result of Executive Order No. 7D. It also waives the requirement that businesses return their permits to the state if the business is closed for more than 60 days if the closure is the result of Executive Order No. 7D, as long as it intends to open following the termination of the executive order.
- 90-day provisional permits: Modifies state statutes to authorize the commissioner of Consumer Protection to review and approve the issuance of provisional permits and their renewal, which would have otherwise been reviewed and approved by the Liquor Control Commission.
- Renewal date for on-premise liquor permits to be extended: Modifies state statutes to provide that all on-premise liquor permits in active status when Executive Order No. 7D went into effect on March 16, shall be extended by four months, including any business whose permit expired between March 16 and April 9.
- Permit need not be recorded with town clerk: Suspends state statutes and regulations in all towns where the town clerk”™s office is closed or so reduced in hours that it makes it unreasonable to have permits recorded. Permits shall be recorded as soon as the relevant town clerk”™s office is reopened and staffed for routine business.
Lamont”™s order issued today ”“ Executive Order No. 7X ”“ includes a provision taking the following actions to protect residential renters during the public health crisis:
- All landlords are prohibited from issuing a notice to quit or beginning eviction proceedings before July 1, except for serious nuisance, such as physically harming another tenant or the landlord.
- For rent due in April, landlords must grant tenants an automatic, 60-day grace period for payment, instead of the existing 9-day grace period.
- For rent due in May, landlords must grant a 60-day grace period for payment upon the request of tenants. Under this provision, a tenant must to notify the landlord that they have lost a job, lost hours, or otherwise lost revenue or faced significant increased expenses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- If a tenant has a paid security deposit of more than one month”™s rent, the tenant can apply all or part of that excess to April, May, or June rent. Under this provision, the tenant must notify the landlord that they have lost a job, lost hours, or otherwise lost revenue or faced significant increased expenses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Food trucks permitted to operate at certain rest areas
In addition, today”™s executive order lifts restrictions on commercial activity in Connecticut highway rest areas and permits food trucks to set up in those locations with the goal of feeding hungry truckers and other essential workers during the pandemic. The directive comes in the wake of recently rescinded federal prohibitions against the commercialization of rest areas nationwide, freeing the states to provide additional necessities.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) maintains seven rest areas on Interstates 84, 91, and 95. They are open 24/7, year-round. They have food and beverage vending machines and restrooms, but no other travel services. They are distinct from the service plazas on I-95, 91, 395, and Route 15, which have gasoline, restaurants, convenience stores, and other amenities. The rest areas accepting food trucks are located in Danbury on I-84; Wallingford and Middletown on I-91; and North Stonington on I-95.
Food truck operators interested in participating will need receive approval from CTDOT by filling out a permit application and emailing it to CTDOTCOVID@ct.gov. Operators must have a state-issued Department of Public Health permit to prepare and serve food. Spaces for the food trucks will be marked off at each of the rest areas, and signage will be included strongly encouraging social distancing.
As to when a decision to reopen such businesses might be reached, Lamont said his number one metric was the state’s hospitalization rate and, secondly, when antibody blood testing becomes widely available.
Donation of hydroxychloroquine will be distributed at hospitals statewide
The state has received a donation of hydroxychloroquine from Amneal Pharmaceuticals that will be distributed to acute care hospitals as they combat the COVID-19 pandemic, and work to ensure that critically ill patients have access to the medication. The Food and Drug Administration recently authorized emergency use of the controversial medication ”“ normally used to treat autoimmune diseases such as lupus and malaria ”“ to treat COVID-19 in certain hospitalized patients.
Approximately 400,000 tablets (4,000 bottles) of the 200mg hydroxychloroquine tablets have shipped and are starting to be received by hospitals. The donation was secured through the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection”™s Drug Control Division with the collaboration of the Connecticut Hospital Association.
The medication was sent to hospitals based on the total number of beds for which each hospital is licensed. Additional allotments were sent to hospitals supporting or expected to support recovery centers. Hospitals, following the procedures set by the Drug Control Division, may move the medication to other hospitals should there be a need.
“Making sure that medical facilities have the resources they need to treat patients who are in dire need of our support is an absolute priority,” Lamont said. “What we”™re going through is unprecedented, and it will continue to take public private partnerships like this to get through it.”
The hydroxychloroquine will be distributed at the direction of physicians, Lamont said.
“Progress” being made at nursing homes
Department of Social Services Commissioner Deidre Gifford said that, with 116 nursing home deaths, the DSS continues to work with the Department of Public Health to identify and establish nursing homes dedicated only to COVID-positive residents.
Many of those will be existing buildings that previously had served as nursing homes, Gifford said. “We’ve made a lot of progress over the last several weeks,” she said. “We’re getting those facilities stood up. Beds are being made available and equipment is being delivered.”
Mounds added that regular reporting of nursing home hospitalizations and deaths should begin next week.
Fauci: Immuniity tests coming soon
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN this morning that a test to determine coronavirus immunity in patients could be available soon.
“Within a week or so, we”™re going to have a rather large number of tests that are available,” Fauci said.
The tests would show if a person has previously been infected with the coronavirus, and therefore gained some level of immunity. They would be done in conjunction with existing tests that tell if a person currently has the virus, Fauci said.
“We still rely appropriately and heavily on the tests to show that someone is, in fact, infected,” Fauci said. “Whereas the antibody test says that you were infected, and if you”™re feeling well you”™re very likely recovered.”
As of this writing, there are over 466,000 positive cases and about 16,800 virus-related deaths in the U.S., and over 1.6 million positive cases and more than 97,000 deaths globally.