Late Monday evening, May 18, Governor Ned Lamont signed his 43rd Executive Order No. 7PP effectively canceling all statewide resident camp operations, enhancing health procedures for any day camps, and delaying the start of those day camps until June 22 unless they were already operating as of May 5.

The order also extends the prohibition of any large gatherings, off-track betting, indoor fitness, and movie theaters until June 20 — maintaining the current five or fewer protocol.

Additionally, the order authorizes a local or district health director to order the closure of Public Health Facilities until such time as the local or district health director determines that the Public Health Facility has abated the nuisance by coming into compliance with the Sector Rules.

Public Health Facilities are defined in the order as “hair salons, barbershops, beauty shops, nail salons, spas, tattoo or piercing establishments, restaurants, eating establishments, private clubs, or any locations licensed for on-premise consumption of alcohol, that are allowed to reopen pursuant to the Sector Rules.”

It further states that “state police and municipal police may enforce violations of orders issued pursuant to a civil preparedness or public health emergency and there is a public health need to add additional enforcement capabilities.”

To limit the spread of COVID-19 and promote and secure the health and safety of children and staff in summer school (summer educational programs), the latest order states that all summer school programs operated by local or regional boards of education shall not begin operations until July 6.

The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with public health experts and the Reopen Connecticut Subcommittee on PreK-12 Education, will be issuing guidance on the limited operation of summer school programs that are permitted to engage in-person classes after that date, and may issue any implementing order he deems necessary consistent with this order and with his associated guidance document.

Any private schools and other non-public schools that operate summer school programs and are not otherwise covered under sections 6 through 10 of this order are encouraged to follow the same schedule and guidance.

Lamont’s latest order also enacts the following provisions:

Reopening Phase 1: Repeals several previously enacted executive orders to allow for the safe reopening of certain sectors of the economy on May 20, including for the reopening of outdoor dining, offices, retail and malls, museums and zoos, and outdoor recreation businesses.

Enforcement of sector rules governing the reopening of businesses: Modifies certain statues and regulations to permit the enforcement of sector rules as certain businesses reopen on May 20, including for local and district health directors and municipal chief executive officers.

Further clarification of limits on restaurants, bars, and private clubs – mixed drinks permitted for takeout delivery: Allows for the sale of mixed drinks for takeout and delivery by various liquor permittees under certain conditions.

Suspension or modification of regulatory requirements to protect public health and safety: Permits the commissioner of the Department of Education to temporarily waive, modify, or suspend any regulatory requirements as he deems necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and protect the public health.

Considering the latest executive order, there will likely be a lot to discuss Thursday, May 21, as State Senator Tony Hwang hosts a “Childcare and Summer Camp Informational Update” and will be joined by CT’s Office of Early Childhood as well as local experts involved in education, child care, and child psychology.

Available through Facebook Live on May 21 at 12:30 pm, this update is intended for parents and caretakers preparing to handle the challenges of re-entering the workforce ahead of when schools and some daycares open. There are many considerations when determining the timing and environment for your children as they re-enter a group learning environment, the senator said.

The meeting can be accessed at facebook.com/senatorhwang.

This is an opportunity for individuals to talk and share their situations, questions, and anxieties. Participants may comment in the feed and/or e-mail questions in advance of the meeting with their name and contact information to Tony.Hwang@cga.ct.gov — or visit www.SenatorHwang.com.

Check Your Insurance Coverage

Also on Monday, Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Andrew N. Mais and Economic and Community Development Commissioner David Lehman are reminding business owners of the importance of checking to make sure their insurance coverage accurately reflects any changed circumstances as they move to comply with the state’s reopening plans.

The Insurance Department is strongly encouraging businesses or residents who have questions or concerns regarding their insurance coverage during the phased reopening of businesses to reach out to their insurance agent, broker, or carrier.

“The pandemic has already caused undue hardship to families and businesses, and further risk to public health and to businesses should be kept to a minimum,” Commissioner Mais said. “Business owners should verify that the coverage they have is still right for them, and that they are prepared both for reopening and for hazards like the upcoming hurricane season.”

“The governor and Reopen Connecticut are instituting a thoughtful reopening schedule with the safety and security of the public,” Commissioner Lehman said. “I’d like to thank all the businesses and their employees who are working so hard during this extremely difficult economic time. We are all committed to safely reopen all businesses as soon as possible.”

Changes in operating situations could include creating or expanding temporary outdoor dining; reconfiguring or modifying indoor fixtures, and even creating drive-up curbside pickups or utilizing staff to handle deliveries. A wealth of related information is available for review by CLICKING HERE

Consumers, insurers, and brokers who have questions should contact the Insurance Department directly through e-mail at insurance@ct.gov, or by phone at 1-800-203-3447 or 860-297-3900.

On a related topic, the CT Healthcare Advocate reports that COVID-19 is creating very serious issues for policy holders who have been hospitalized for non-covid health issues such as surgeries or acute mental health support. Often, members are not prepared to go directly home and need to be placed in a lower level of care such as skilled nursing facility, rehabilitation, or a step down unit for continued treatment.

Even though members have been tested and are virus free, getting them placed in a less expensive care facility is nearly impossible because of high demand, limited admission intakes causing few beds being available.

If they remain in the hospital the costs are astronomical comparatively and because the consumer may no longer meet the medical criteria for that higher level of care, their insurance policies can opt not to cover the much higher costs. If that happens, the hospital has to cover these costs or the consumer will incur huge bills they are unlikely able to pay.

The OHA is seeing more and more of these cases. While OHA has successfully won appeals or have been able to work with the insurance carriers, more cases are coming up every day. The trend is concerning. If you are facing an issue like this, contact the OHA immediately by calling 866-466-4446 toll-free or by CLICKING HERE

More Funds For Testing

The federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reported Tuesday it is delivering $182,633,998 in new funding to Connecticut to support testing for COVID-19. This funding from the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act will provide critical support to develop, purchase, administer, process, and analyze COVID-19 tests, conduct surveillance, trace contacts, and related activities.

HHS Secretary Alex Azar said, “For the sake of all Americans’ health and well-being, we must help Americans get safely back to work and school, and that requires continued expansion of testing, surveillance, and contact tracing. The Trump Administration stands ready to support and guide states in their life-saving work to combat the virus and reopen our country.”

“As the nation cautiously begins the phased approach to reopening, this considerable investment in expanding both testing and contact tracing capacity for states, localities, territories and tribal communities is essential,” said CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, MD.

“Readily accessible testing is a critical component of a four-pronged public health strategy — including rigorous contact tracing, isolation of confirmed cases, and quarantine,” Dr Redfield added. “As communities move toward a blended mitigation and containment strategy, I encourage all Americans to continue to embrace powerful public health measures — social distancing, hand washing, and face coverings. We are not defenseless in the battle against this pandemic.”

Each Governor or designee of each state, locality, or territory receiving funds shall submit to HHS its plan for COVID-19 testing, including goals for the remainder of calendar year 2020, to include:

*Number of tests needed, month-by-month to include diagnostic, serological, and other tests, as appropriate;

*Month-by-month estimates of laboratory and testing capacity, including related to workforce, equipment and supplies, and available tests;

*Description of how the resources will be used for testing, including easing any COVID-19 community mitigation policies;

*Jurisdictions will use the funding they receive to meet the testing goals laid out in their COVID-19 testing plans, including purchasing supplies (such as test kits and other testing supplies, as necessary).

Anyone in crisis or facing issues making ends meet or experiencing stress or anxiety can also call the 211 infoline or consult its companion website 211ct.org.

For the most up-to-date information from the State of Connecticut on COVID-19, including an FAQ, other guidance and resources, and a way to ask questions, Newtown residents are encouraged to visit ct.gov/coronavirus.

The Newtown Bee is continuing to provide and mirror information and messages coming from local and state agencies on a daily and sometimes hourly basis. Newtown residents can get more details by visiting Newtown’s own COVID-19 web page, at newtown-ct.gov.

Residents can also review all prior COVID-19 updates and follow the newspaper’s Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages for breaking local news and advisories.

Please check in regularly, share, and follow the newspaper’s hyper local coverage at newtownbee.com through the remainder of this public health emergency.