Report by Paula Antolini. March 22, 2020, 7:18PM EDT
Bethel Community Update, March 20, 2020 10:00PM
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Earlier this evening Governor Lamont issued a new executive order, called the “Stay Safe, Stay Home” initiative in further response to the spread of COVID-19, which requires all non-essential businesses to close by Monday, March 23rd at 8:00pm.
Essential businesses include grocery stores, hospitals, nursing homes, gas stations, public utility and public works operations, banks, transportation systems, news media, shelters and food banks, law enforcement, restaurants (take-out only) to name some. All other non-essential retail establishments and office operations must close until further notice.
Please note, this list is not all inclusive; we are awaiting further clarification from the governor’s office as to the criteria for essential vs non-essential businesses. We will post further updates as soon as we receive more detailed information.
Partial text of the governor’s press release appears below:
Governor Lamont’s Executive Order No. 7H enacts the following provisions:
• Restrictions on workplaces for non-essential business: The order directs all non-essential businesses and not-for-profit entities in Connecticut to prohibit all in-person functions if they are able to, effective Monday, March 23, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. The governor is encouraging all businesses to employ, to the maximum extent possible, any telecommuting or work-from-home procedures that they can safely implement. The governor’s order excludes any essential business or entity providing essential services or functions, such as healthcare, food service, law enforcement, and similar critical services.
• Requires a coordinated effort between the State of Connecticut and its municipalities when responding to this emergency: Consistency and uniformity are an absolute necessity during a public health emergency, and it is critical that the state has consistent guidelines in place across our cities and towns. This order prohibits municipalities from issuing shelter-in-place orders or prohibitions on travel without permission from the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP). It also prospectively prohibits city and town leaders from enacting or enforcing any order that conflicts with any order issued by the governor or a state agency pursuant to his March 10 emergency declaration without permission from DESPP.
**Download: Governor Lamont’s Executive Order No. 7H
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