Update: March 31 8:30 p.m. – State Response to Coronavirus

Friends and Neighbors,

Governor Lamont this evening announced another Executive Order – Executive Order 7R.

Executive Order 7R requires the State Department of Education to continue processing school grant funds, requires municipalities continue to fund local boards of education, and requires districts to continue to pay, or return to employment, school staff directly employed by the district or board of education. The Order allows the Commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to close state parks as needed to control social distancing, and it allows for curbside pickup and delivery of alcoholic beverages.

Executive Order 7R: 

1. Continued Funding for Boards of Education. The State Department of Education shall continue to process appropriated state grant funds intended to support boards of education through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, including, but not limited to, entitlement grants such as the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grant pursuant to Section I0-262f, payments for special education excess costs pursuant to Sections I0-76d and I0-76g, and Choice programming pursuant to Sections I 0-264i, I 0-2641, I 0-2640, and I 0-266aa. Municipalities shall continue to provide funding to local boards of education as set forth in the approved annual school budgets for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020.

2. Continued Payment of Public School Staff. In recognition of the fact that schools are required to provide a broad and constantly changing spectrum of services to students and families and will need to reengage students as quickly as possible upon resuming classes, school districts shall continue to employ or restore to employment if already laid off, and pay school staff who are directly employed by the local or regional board of education, including but not limited to teachers, paraprofessionals and other support staff, cafeteria staff, clerical staff, and custodial workers, to the greatest extent practicable. Local and regional boards of education may require school staff to provide services during the period of closure to the extent consistent with state and federal laws, including any applicable Executive Orders, guidance, or public health recommendations, and shall not be required to continue such employment if the staff member secures other employment, or if the staff member would have been separated for reasons other than circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nothing in this order shall affect the ability of the local or regional board of education to reduce the number of staff members prior to the start of the 2020- 2021 school year due to budget reductions or as otherwise necessary outside of the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, in compliance with current legal requirements.

3. Preservation of Student Transportation Services and Special Education Providers. To the extent that a board of education, or in cases where the municipality holds the contract, the municipality with agreement from the board of education, determines that a contract related to student transportation or the provision of special education services by a public special education provider or an approved private special education provider requires amendment to more accurately reflect the actual costs incurred during the duration of the public health and civil preparedness emergencies, all parties shall promptly negotiate amendments to such contracts with student transportation providers and/or special education providers with terms that are consistent with the goals of: (1) sustaining continuity of service when school resumes; (2) continuing (a) to make tuition payments to special education providers so that they may compensate their active employees and provide them health insurance and (b) to make payments to transportation providers so that they may compensate their active employees and provide them health insurance; and (3) requiring the contracted company to attest and provide reasonable documentation of the fact that it is charging only the actual and reasonable cost of sustaining wage and health insurance payments for active employees and/or fleet while also engaging best effort is to avoid unnecessary costs. Such continued compensation and health insurance for staff or others providing special education and transportation services and employees shall be continued to the greatest extent practicable – whether full-time or part-time – at rates commensurate to those paid and provided immediately prior to the declaration of these public health and civil preparedness emergencies, whether or not services are actually or immediately rendered. Nothing in this provision shall allow for contracted companies to be enriched beyond the actual and reasonable costs incurred for the purposes set forth above.

4. Restrictions on Entrance to State Parks, Forests, and Other Lands. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 23-4 of the Connecticut General Statutes or any related regulations, rules, policies or procedures, in order to limit close person-to-person contact and the formation of crowds, and thereby reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may issue any orders she deems necessary to restrict or prohibit entrance into state parks and other lands under her control, and may prohibit for the duration o f this public health and civil preparedness emergency the entrance to such parks or lands by anyone who violates any such an order.

5. Curbside Pickup of Alcoholic Beverages Permitted. Sections 30-20 and 30-74(c) of the Connecticut General Statutes and Section 30-6-B55(b) of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies are modified to allow the holders of package store liquor permits and grocery store beer permits to extend their permit premises to provide for sale for curbside pickup of all alcoholic beverages allowed by their permit type in any space adjacent to their permit premise. Such curbside sales are permitted during the days and hours allowed for legal sale pursuant to Section 30-9l(d), unless a more restrictive municipal ordinance limits the hours of alcoholic beverage sales. The Commissioner of Consumer Protection may issue any implementing orders and guidance that she deems necessary to implement this order. Nothing in this order shall relieve any permit holder from the responsibility to comply with existing law requiring verification of identification.

Executive Order 7R can be read here: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/Office-of-the-Governor/Executive-Orders/Lamont-Executive-Orders/Executive-Order-No-7R.pdf

The governor’s full press release can be read here: https://portal.ct.gov/Office-of-the-Governor/News/Press-Releases/2020/03-2020/Governor-Lamont-Coronavirus-Update-March-31

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Governor Lamont Announces Mortgage Payment Relief During COVID-19 Crisis

Connecticut Residents Economically Impacted by COVID-19 May Receive 90-Day Grace Periods to Make Mortgage Payments; Financial Institutions Agree Not to Negatively Impact Credit Reports as a Result of Accepting Payment Relief

Governor Ned Lamont today announced that his administration has reached an agreement with over 50 credit unions and banks in Connecticut to offer mortgage relief to the state’s residents and businesses who continue to face hardship caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Under the agreement, the following relief policies are being offered by participating financial institutions:

• 90-day grace period for all mortgage payments: Participating financial institutions are now offering mortgage-payment forbearances of up to 90 days, which will allow homeowners to reduce or delay monthly mortgage payments. In addition, the institutions will:
• Provide a streamlined process for requesting forbearance for COVID-19-related reasons, supported with available documentation;
• Confirm approval and terms of forbearance program; and
• Provide the opportunity to extend forbearance agreements if faced with continued hardship resulting from COVID-19.
• Relief from fees and charges for 90 days: For at least 90 days, participating financial institutions will waive or refund mortgage-related late fees and other fees including early CD withdrawals.
• No new foreclosures for 60 days: Financial institutions will not start any foreclosure sales or evictions.
• No credit score changes for accessing relief: For those taking advantage of this COVID-19-related relief, late or missed payments will not be shared with credit reporting agencies.

Officials are stressing that customers with loans should stay in close contact with their financial institution to identify their particular needs and work on customized solutions.

The Department of Banking will maintain updated list of participating institutions on its website.

More information can be found in Governor Lamont’s press release: https://portal.ct.gov/Office-of-the-Governor/News/Press-Releases/2020/03-2020/Governor-Lamont-Announces-Mortgage-Payment-Relief-During-COVID19-Crisis

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As of 4:00 p.m. tonight – Tuesday, March 31st – the state has diagnosed a total of 3128 cases of Coronavirus. Updated virus totals can be accessed here: https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus

Governor Lamont also said the state death toll related to Coronavirus has risen to 69.

Latest COVID-19 Testing Data in Connecticut 

Updated 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Total patients who tested positive: 3128

Fairfield County: 1870

Hartford County: 393

Litchfield County: 121

Middlesex County: 56

New Haven County: 517

New London County: 27

Tolland County: 56

Windham County: 11

Pending address validation: 77