Capitol Update: Thanksgiving, New Fines and Restrictions, and Vaccine Information

Dear friends and neighbors,

As we enter the holiday season, I would like to share the latest public health guidance from the state for social gatherings and travel, as well as new restrictions on sports activities and increased fines on businesses found to be in violation of COVID-19 rules.

I’ve also included a fact sheet from Pfizer regarding the pending distribution of their COVID-19 vaccine. Please scroll down for more information.

Finally, I would like to wish you and your family a wonderful, safe, and healthy Thanksgiving! This year has presented us with new challenges and hardships, but we cannot forgot the good in our lives. I still have much to be thankful for in my life, including my wife and children, relatives, friends, neighbors, and so many others across New Canaan and Wilton.

I am also thankful to our frontline workers, especially our healthcare providers, first responders, teachers, and all essential personnel who have treated the sick, kept our schools running, and made sure businesses remained safely opened during the pandemic. On behalf of our entire community, thank you. You are greatly appreciated, and your hard work never goes unnoticed.

Whatever you have planned for tomorrow, I hope you are able to enjoy some time with your loved ones, whether in small groups or virtually.

Warm regards,

Tom

Guidance for Thanksgiving

DPH and the CDC have released guidance for residents as they prepare for the upcoming holiday season.

DPH has provided some considerations for on-campus students planning to return home, individuals traveling to and from Connecticut (whether by road, public transportation, or plane), and specific rules regarding events, including private gatherings, which are now limited to 10 people.

The CDC outlines specific guidelines for attending or hosting a gathering, travel tips, reminders to wear a mask and to social distance, and alternate activities for families to help maximize safety and minimize transmission of the virus.

The governors of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island are encouraging colleges and universities to test all students before they leave campus to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 as students prepare to return home. The full press release from the Regional Coalition of Northeast Governors can be found here.

This is also a reminder to get your flu shot if you have not done so already. Although COVID-19 is the greatest public health threat at this time, there are other viruses out there that can spread just as easily, including influenza.

Below are some additional resources that may be helpful as you plan for the upcoming holidays.

• House Republican resource page: Click Here
• CDC Thanksgiving Guidance: Click Here
• DPH Holiday Guidance: Click Here

Updated Travel Advisory

As of yesterday, the U.S. Virgin Islands have been added to the tri-state travel advisory created by Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. No states/U.S. territories have been removed at this time.

Governor Lamont signed Executive Order 9I, which excludes New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island from the travel advisory whether or not those states meet the quarantine criteria.

Note: People visiting Connecticut may test out of the mandatory 14-day quarantine by obtaining a negative COVID-19 PCR test result 72 hours prior to arriving in the state or by testing negative after arrival. Visitors are required to quarantine until the negative results have been received.

Here are the states/territories that are NOT on the list at this time:

• Connecticut
• Hawaii
• New Jersey
• New York
• Rhode Island
• Washington, D.C.

For more information about the tri-state advisory, including a full list of states with a high infection rate, please click here. The map below also indicates which states are listed on the advisory (red), and which are not (green).

Team Sports on Pause Until January

In response to rising COVID-19 cases across Connecticut, the state has put a stop to all sports between now and January 19, 2021. This applies to all sporting activities, with the exception of college-level and professional organizations. A team (group of more than four people jointly engaged in a sports activity in a single location) must obtain approval from the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) in order to be deemed “professional.”

Gyms/fitness centers must now require masks with no exceptions, and group exercise classes are limited to 25 percent of the space’s maximum capacity.

Athletes may participate in low to moderate risk activities (see chart below), but any athletic gatherings must be limited to four or fewer people.

For more information about these changes, please click here.

Governor Imposes $10K Fines on Businesses

Yesterday, Governor Lamont signed Executive Order 9N, which increases fines on businesses for COVID-19 violations from $500 to $10,000 per violation. From what we understand, there will be no differentiating between a blatant violations and an accidental oversight, meaning that small businesses that make an honest mistake could be hit with a substantial fine that could easily put them out of businesses.

The new executive order (EO) is effective tomorrow (Thanksgiving) at 12:01 a.m. Fines may be issued by local health departments and municipalities. Gatherings at residences, religious and spiritual events, and graduations are exempt from this new EO, but will remain subject to other sector rules previously announced by the administration and will be cited accordingly for any violations.

The administration has been tasked with managing an unprecedented pandemic, and while I appreciate the governor’s swift actions to protect Connecticut residents, I believe this latest EO goes too far. You cannot claim to support small businesses while also imposing fines that could effectively put them out of businesses, especially for inadvertent violations of these new, and often confusing, COVID-19 sector rules.

This is the last thing small businesses need as they struggle to remain open. Business owners in New Canaan and Wilton have gone to great lengths to comply with these executive orders, and I think it is heavily misguided to enforce this one.

The governor should trust that businesses are taking this seriously and will continue to do everything possible to protect their customers and their employees. I hope the administration reconsiders this latest action.

For more information about Executive Order 9N can be found in the governor’s 11/24 press release.

Pfizer Releases Fact Sheet for COVID Vaccine

As you have likely heard by now, two companies have released promising vaccine data. This is welcomed news as COVID-19 cases continue to rise with the cold weather. While this does not signal an immediate end to the pandemic, it is reassuring that our scientists have made notable progress on this front, and widespread distribution of a vaccine will help us bring the virus under control.

In preparation for this, Pfizer, one of the vaccine developers, has released a fact sheet detailing its plans to ship vials to points of use throughout the United States, and globally. The document covers transportation methods, storage specifications, and the company’s plans to coordinate with the government.

I will provide more information about the vaccine efforts when it becomes available.

If you have any questions about these updates or any other state issues, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Email: Tom.ODea@housegop.ct.gov