Lamont Anticipates Some Emergency Orders Continuing
Monday, Gov. Ned Lamont declined to speculate when his pandemic-related emergency authorizations should be allowed to expire, saying the COVID-19 virus may continue to present challenges for the “foreseeable future.” Lamont and his chief of staff, Paul Mounds, stressed that the duration of the emergency declarations was in large part at the discretion of the legislature, which is in session for another month. The current authorization, which serves as the basis for dozens of ongoing executive orders, is set to expire on May 20.
Lamont said he expects many of the orders to continue beyond May 19, including a requirement that residents wear masks while indoors in public places. He declined to guess how much longer the orders would be necessary but suggested it might be a while. As was the case the last time the Executive Orders were extended from April 20 through May 19, the legislature would likely have to provide some kind of approval for certain orders to continue, or may allow for a blanket extension. These issues are still being negotiated as the state continues its Covid-19 response.
Connecticut COVID-19 Vaccine Update
This week, Connecticut became the first state in the country with more than half of the 18 and older population fully vaccinated, pushing down the rates of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths. A total of 69% of Connecticut residents have already received their first dose of the vaccine. Nearly 1.4 million residents are fully vaccinated and approximately 1.9 million first doses have been administered, according to state officials. In other exciting vaccine news, it is rumored that the US FDA is set to authorize the Pfizer vaccine for those 12–15 years old in the near future.
This bodes well for schools returning to a sense of normalcy for the 2021-22 school year.
Legislative Mood
As Connecticut continues to reopen, it was announced the Legislative Office Building will likely remain closed for the remainder of this session. This comes following Republican pushback to reopen the building to finish off session “normally.” However, concerns were raised about capacity limits and how to choose who and how many people would be allowed in, and it is unlikely that anyone besides LOB staff will be allowed in the building until after regular session ends on June 9th. With that said, the House and Senate will continue to meet in person to tackle their respective issues. In past years, to maintain efficiency, both chambers would routinely meet simultaneously—especially during the last few days of session—to proceed through their agendas, that is not the case this year. As of now, the chambers are planning on meeting on different days and it is unclear if they will be meeting simultaneously due to Covid concerns, technological capabilities.
Session Days
This week the House met to discuss bills including HB 5596 An Act Concerning Telehealth, HB 6378 An Act Concerning Prevailing Wage Contracts and HB 6389 An Act Concerning Explanations of Benefits which ate up six hours of debate time. The House wrapped up their session day around 2am this morning and will meet again tomorrow. The Senate also met today and are expected to pass HB 5596 An Act Concerning Telehealth, along with a few other bills. If the telehealth bill passes the Senate, it will move to the desk of the Governor to be signed into law.
May 1st Reopening
As of May 1, outdoor masking will no longer be required except for following CDC recommendations of still wearing one in when in a crowded area with individuals that you don't know. Additionally, bars that do not serve food will only be allowed to operate on an outdoors basis only, meaning that serving alcohol indoors will still be prohibited at these establishments and restaurants and bars can now serve drinks unaccompanied by a meal. Another lifted restriction will be allowing restaurants the option to stay open until midnight rather than the current 11pm curfew. This comes in the weeks before Governor Lamont is expected to lift most business restrictions, both indoors and outdoors on May 19.
Travel Advisory
As of March 19, 2021, Governor Lamont’s Executive Order No.9S, Section 1 regarding travel is no longer in effect.
Connecticut residents and travelers to Connecticut should follow travel- related guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH). Mandates and requirements are not currently in place in Connecticut.
Governor Lamont's Executive Orders