Information on COVID-19 testing in Connecticut can be found here.
ECONOMIC RESPONSE
Essential Service Designations:
Essential businesses in Connecticut comprise 16 critical infrastructure sectors as defined by the Department of Homeland Security; essential health care operations; companies involved in pharmaceutical and healthcare supplies; essential infrastructure such as utilities, telecommunications, airports and transportation; manufacturing, including food processing; the defense industrial base; essential retail such as grocery stores and big-box stores; pharmacies, gas stations, and convenience stores; food and beverage retailers and restaurants (provided they comply with previous orders); essential services including trash and recycling collection; news media; legal and accounting services; banks, insurance companies, check cashing services, and other financial institutions; providers of basic necessities to economically disadvantaged populations; construction; and vendors that provide essential services or products, including child care and services needed to ensure the continuing operation of government agencies, among other services. (March 20)
Labor & Workforce Guidance, Standards and Regulations:
Governor Lamont announced that Connecticut willexpand its Shared Work program, which helps businesses in the state prevent layoffs by allowing them to temporarily reduce employee hours and use partial unemployment benefits to supplement lost wages. The program will be expanded beginning the week of October 5. (September 22)
Governor Lamont issued an executive order creating a rebuttable presumption that workers who contracted COVID-19 in the early days of the pandemic contracted it on the job and are, therefore, eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. (July 27)
Governor Lamont issued an executive order extending COVID-19-related workers’ compensation for another six months. (July 24)
Economic Stimulus & Relief:
Governor Lamont announced the expansion of the Connecticut Youth Employment Program, which provides year-round employment opportunities for youths across Connecticut with community-based agencies. (June 3)
Governor Lamont plans to extend Connecticut’s eviction moratorium for at least another month to allow more time to get rental relief to people who need it. (May 7)
Governor Lamont announced he would propose to invest $103 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to ensure that workers whose employment has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic have access to industry-aligned training programs that address the immediate hiring demands of employers and provide job seekers with employment opportunities. (April 22)
Governor Lamont announced plans to provide local health departments and their community partners with $33.3 million in federal funding to establish outreach, education, and services for minority and traditionally underserved communities, as part of the state’s the ongoing efforts to increase access to COVID-19 vaccinations. (March 30)
Governor Lamont announced he would direct CTtransit to provide free, statewide bus service to all customers every weekend beginning Memorial Day weekend and lasting through Labor Day to encourage people to visit locally owned, small businesses and support the economy. (March 30)
The Lamont administration announced it would invest $210 million in federal funding to support early childhood programs. (March 29)
Governor Lamont announced the launch of UniteCT, a new state program to provide rental and utility assistance to qualified Connecticut households financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. (March 15)
Governor Lamont announced he would commit an additional $31.2 million to support Connecticut’s nursing homes. (December 30)
Governor Lamont said he would sign an executive order expanding eligibility to the federal Lost Wages Assistance program for Connecticut residents who did not initially qualify for the program. (December 4)
Governor Lamont’s request to extend the federal authorization for National Guard support to the state during its ongoing response to the COVID-19 public health emergency was approved through March 31, 2021. (December 3)
Governor Lamont approved more than $11 million in state funding for grants through the Small Town Economic Assistance Program, which would be awarded to 94 small towns across Connecticut for various infrastructure improvement projects. (November 9)
Governor Lamont approved $3.4 million in grants from the state’s Coronavirus Relief Fund to finance programs in several towns across Connecticut that will be used for homeless shelter improvements, homeless prevention services, and financial assistance for low-income residents at-risk of becoming homeless. (November 5)
Governor Lamont and Connecticut Housing Commissioner Seila Mosquera-Bruno announced the state would open a second round of funding under the Temporary Rental Housing Assistance Program to applicants seeking assistance with residential rent payments delayed by financial stress related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In this round, the program will for the first time accept applications directly from small landlords. (November 4)
Governor Lamont announced he would allocate $15 million of CARES Act money to fund innovative workforce programs that will provide job training to more than 1,000 displaced workers in the state and connect them to high-growth, in-demand jobs. (October 23)
Governor Lamont approved $1 million of CARES Act funding to provide supplemental aid to foster parents for the costs associated with caring for more than 3,600 children in state care during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. (October 23)
Governor Lamont announced the Connecticut CARES Small Business Grant Program to assist small businesses and nonprofits that have been impacted by the economic downturn caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic. The program will provide businesses and nonprofits in Connecticut that have fewer than twenty employees or a 2019 payroll of less than $1.5 million with a one-time grant of $5,000. (October 20)
Governor Lamont approved the first 21 local health districts and departments that will receive a portion of $20 million in funding the state was allocated as part of the US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity Cooperative Agreement. (October 20)
Governor Lamont announced that Connecticut would provide up to $9 million in grants to certain nonprofit arts organizations in the state to help them recover more quickly from the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. (October 19)
Governor Lamont announced that his administration would dedicate $2.6 million to support the state’s public libraries. (October 7)
Governor Lamont announced he is doubling funding for the previously announced Temporary Rental Housing Assistance Program for Connecticut residents impacted by COVID-19 from $20 million to $40 million. (September 30)
Business Support & Resources:
Governor Lamont announced that minority and women-owned small businesses can now apply for a zero-interest loan of up to $20,000. (April 9)
The state announced a new initiative, the Connecticut Recovery Bridge Loan Program, to provide $25 million in zero-interest loans to small businesses with up to 100 employees. (March 25)
The CT Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) launched a Business Emergency Response Unit, dedicated to helping businesses navigate resources available to them during the crisis. (March 17)
SOCIAL RESTRICTIONS
Reopenings:
Governor Lamont lifted some COVID-19 restrictions, including size limits and social distancing rules for certain businesses, such as large even venues, bars, and nightclubs. (May 19)
Governor Lamont said Connecticut would follow CDC guidance in ending the indoor mask mandate for people who are fully vaccinated starting May 19. (May 14)
On May 19, all business restrictions still in place will end, and businesses will be able to decide for themselves regarding any curfews or social distancing measures. Wearing masks while indoors will still be required. (May 12)
Governor Lamont lifted all outdoor restrictions as of May 1, including for bars that had been closed since the early days of the pandemic. (May 3)
Connecticut announced it would end its COVID-19 restrictions in two steps beginning May 1 for outdoor activities and May 19 for everything else. The remaining mandate will be a requirement for wearing masks in public indoor places. (April 20)
Governor Lamont announced that all Connecticut adults will become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on April 1. (March 26)
Connecticut announced that all capacity limits would be eliminated for retail businesses, restaurants, libraries, gyms, museums, houses of worship, and offices. (March 19)
Governor Lamont announced that all Connecticut adults would be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on April 5. (March 16)
Governor Lamont announced he would accelerate Connecticut’s age-based rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine to proceed on a quicker schedule than was originally anticipated. (March 15)
Governor Lamont signed an executive order modifying certain state laws in order to allow expanded access to telehealth services to continue in Connecticut during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. (March 14)
Beginning April 2, outdoor amusement parks will be permitted to reopen, outdoor event venues will be able to increase capacity limits to 50 percent capped at 10,000 people, and indoor stadiums will be able to reopen at 10 percent capacity. (March 4)
Governor Lamont signed an executive order cancelling closed seasons for fishing on all inland waters in the state. (March 4)
Governor Lamont announced that the state would continue with an age-based approach to expanding vaccine eligibility. (February 22)
Governor Lamont announced that Connecticut residents over the age of 65 would be eligible to schedule COVID-19 vaccination appointments starting February 11. (February 8)
Governor Lamont announced the launch of new services at the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles that enabled residents to renew their driver’s licenses and non-driver ID cards online without having to visit an office in-person. (February 3)
Governor Lamont extended Connecticut’s state of emergency until April 20. (January 26)
Connecticut has entered Stage 1B of the vaccine distribution plan. Residents age 75 or older can now schedule appointments to receive a vaccine. (January 14)
Governor Lamont directed the Connecticut Department of Public Health to add Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine to the state’s ongoing vaccination program. (December 21)
Effective at 12:01AM December 19, the revised Connecticut COVID-19 Travel Advisory applies to all travelers entering Connecticut, except for the neighboring states of New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. The new guidelines require all affected travelers to complete the Connecticut Travel Health Form and self-quarantine for a period of 10 days or until a negative COVID-19 test result. (December 18)
Governor Lamont signed an executive orderincreasing the amount that businesses can be fined for violations of the state’s COVID-19 sector rules and capacity limits to $10,000 per violation. (November 24)
Governor Lamont announced that Connecticut had launched its official COVID-19 exposure notification app, COVID Alert CT, which would inform users if they may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. (November 12)
The Lamont administration launched a variety of new resources to support those who need to isolate or self-quarantine due to COVID-19. (September 30)
The Connecticut Department of Public Health rescinded previous orders limiting visitation at long-term care facilities, including nursing homes. (September 28)
SCHOOL PLANNING
K-12:
Beginning Monday, March 29, capacity limits on early childhood classes will increase from 16 to 20. (March 4)
Governor Lamont, along with the governors of Maine, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, announced an extension of the suspension of interstate youth hockey competitions for public and private schools and youth hockey leagues through at least January 31, 2021. (December 30)
Governor Lamont announced that Connecticut will make an additional $160 million in funding available for school districts to safely reopen, assist them with costs associated with responding to COVID-19, and support local operations for the 2020-21 academic year. (August 6)
Governor Lamont has left it open to individual school districts to decide how to open schools in the fall, saying the state will not dictate terms. (July 28)
State Higher Education:
A list of Connecticut colleges and universities that planned to reopen in the fall can be found here.
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