COVID-19 Update: CVS/State Offer Rapid Testing, New Executive Order, and More

Updates from the Governor

Cloth Face Coverings or Higher to be Required in Public

Governor Lamont has signed a new executive order (7BB) requiring cloth face covers or a higher level of protection while in public wherever close contact is unavoidable. This executive order goes into effect Monday, April 20, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. Face covers must be worn if coming within six feet of others, when using a taxi or rideshare service (Uber/Lyft), and in other public spaces such as a transit stop or waiting area. This order does not apply to children under two years of age or those with medical conditions whose breathing would be compromised if they were wearing a mask.

To read the entire announcement, please click here.

State/CVS Partnership Offers Rapid Testing Centers

The State of Connecticut has formed a partnership with CVS to provide free, rapid COVID-19 testing to eligible residents. This includes anyone experiencing certain COVID-19-related symptoms and risk factors as defined by CDC guidelines, as well as those who meet certain requirements, including state residency and age guidelines.

The first rapid testing site opened yesterday in New Haven at the former Gateway Community College campus. The plan is to conduct up to 750 tests per day, seven days a week. Results will be available approximately 30 minutes after the collection of the swab.

A doctor’s order is not required for scheduling a test, but all patients wishing to be tested must pre-register in advance online: Click Here

Governor Announces Rapid Testing: Click Here

Reminder: Tax Date is Now July 15^th, 2020

As a reminder, the state’s Department of Revenue Services (DRS) has extended filing deadlines to July 15, 2020 for income tax returns, estimates, and payments for individual income, trusts and estates, pass-through business entities, corporations and more. This is to align state tax deadlines with changes to federal returns, which were adjusted by the IRS last month.

DRS press release regarding tax filing, payment deadline extensions: Click Here

NOTE: Stimulus payments are not taxable. Click here for more information as well as other frequently asked questions about Economic Impact Payments.

Improvements to Unemployment Claims Processing

This week, the governor announced a new software improvement that will allow the Department of Labor (DOL) to process unemployment claims at a faster rate. The new software is expected to reduce the wait time for unemployment benefits from six weeks to one week or less. Within a day of using the new software, DOL was able to process 60,000 claims.

Governor announces new software for DOL: Click Here

Connecticut’s Presidential Primary Now August 11, 2020

Last month, the governor made the decision to move Connecticut’s presidential primary election from April 28 to June 2, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yesterday, he ordered the primary to be moved even further out from June 2 to August 11, 2020.

The state is already scheduled to hold primaries for other federal, state, and local offices on August 11. Moving the presidential primary to this date will enable the presidential primary to appear on the same ballot as those other races.

To read the full announcement, click here.

Summary of Executive Orders

Since the crisis began in March, Governor Lamont has issued a number of executive orders. These executive orders pertain to different subjects including businesses, schools, state operations, public gatherings, and much more. To help make sense of all this, the Office of Legislative Research has published a series of reports grouping the executive orders by subject matter.

Four different reports cover COVID-19 executive orders affecting…

• State and Local Government Operations and Elections: Click Here

• Business, Labor, and Housing: Click Here

• Health and Human Services: Click Here

• Education and Child Care: Click Here

Reopen Connecticut

While we are not out of the woods yet, government officials are making plans to reopen our local, state, and national economies when the time comes. Details are still to come, but the governor has announced the formation of the Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group, which will examine ways to reestablish commerce without posing a significant risk to public health and safety.

The advisory group will be co-chaired by Indra Nooyi, who is the current board co-chair of AdvanceCT and the former chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, and Albert Ko, MD, who is a professor of Epidemiology and Medicine and a department chair at the Yale School of Public Health.

Similar regional efforts are underway in collaboration with neighboring states.

Additional Resources

As a reminder, these are the best regularly updated resources from global, federal, state and local governments and agencies:

Global

• World Health Organization: Click Here

Federal

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Click Here

State

• State of Connecticut Web Portal: Click Here

• FAQ Document from Governor’s Office: Click Here

Local

• Town of New Canaan: Click Here

• Town of Wilton: Click Here

Latest COVID-19 Data for CT – (Updated 4/18/2020)

• Confirmed Statewide COVID-19 Cases: 17,550

• Patients Currently Hospitalized Statewide with COVID-19: 1,938*

• Confirmed Statewide COVID-19 Fatalities: 1,086

• Confirmed Fairfield County Cases: 7,363

• Confirmed Fairfield County Fatalities: 432

• Confirmed New Canaan Cases: 102

• Confirmed Wilton Cases: 103

Click here to read more.

As always, I will provide more updates as I receive new information. Please reach out to me if you have questions or concerns about the state and local response to the COVID-19 crisis, or any state government matter. I am more than happy to speak with you directly, provide more information if possible, and to serve as a resource for you and your families.

Email: Tom.ODea@housegop.ct.gov

Best,

State Representative Tom O’Dea

125^th General Assembly District

New Canaan & Wilton