Executive Order NO. 7S

STATE OF CONNECTICUT
BY HIS EXCELLENCY NED LAMONT

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 7S

PROTECTION OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND RESPONSE – SAFE STORES, RELIEF FOR POLICYHOLDERS, TAXPAYERS, AND TENANTS

WHEREAS, on March 10, 2020, I issued a declaration of public health and civil preparedness emergencies, proclaiming a state of emergency throughout the State of Connecticut as a result of the corona virus disease 2019 ( CO VID-19) outbreak in the United States and confirmed spread in Connecticut; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to such declaration, I have issued seventeen (17) executive orders to suspend or modify statutes and to take other actions necessary to protect public health and safety and to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that spreads easily from person to person and may result in serious illness or death; and

WHEREAS, the World Health Organization has declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic; and

WHEREAS, the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 appears to be higher for individuals who are 60 years of age or older and for those who have chronic health conditions; and

WHEREAS, to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Connecticut Department of Public Health recommend implementation of community mitigation strategies to increase containment of the virus and to slow transmission of the virus, including cancellation of gatherings of ten people or more and social distancing in smaller gatherings; and

WHEREAS, my Executive Order No. 7N imposed certain safety restrictions and mandates on retail establishments in order to limit the spread of COVID-19 among customers, employees, and others entering such establishments; and

WHEREAS, there exists a compelling state interest in a consistent and easily understandable statewide approach to reducing the risk of transmission of COVID-19 among customers, staff, and other persons entering retail establishments, to limit community transmission of COVID-19 statewide, and to ensure the continuity of essential retail services and safe conduct of permitted non-essential retail services; and