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Gov. Lamont extends mask order through February

Gov. Ned Lamont issued an executive order Friday that extended his April 17 order requiring face masks to be worn in public places where six feet of social distancing cannot be maintained.

The order, signed by Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, also extends an exemption for those who may not be able to wear a mask due to health conditions provided they are able to give written documentation by a doctor or by a relevant state agency, such as the Department of Developmental Services.

The order continues the power of the Department of Economic and Community Development to update sector rules for businesses, including workplace rules for essential employees regarding requirements for face masks

“The Commissioner of the DECD shall issue updated versions of Sector Rules, Safe Workplace Rules for Essential Employers, or other rules issued pursuant to previous executive orders,” the order states.

The order shall remain in effect for six months or until any future orders change.

Although Connecticut was scheduled to be into Phase 3 of its reopening plan based on the low numbers of new cases and new hospitalizations, a resurgence of the coronavirus in a number of states has led to the reopening plan being put on hold. The state has also cracked down on travelers coming in from affected states.

Jim Watson, director of communications for the DECD, said that decisions on when and how restrictions can be eased will still be made through a collaborative effort between the governor’s office, DECD and the Department of Public Health.

Business rules for reopening and general rules regarding the wearing of masks in public spaces have essentially remained stuck in Phase 2, limiting indoor gatherings to 25 people, outdoor gatherings to 100 and businesses to 50 percent of their indoor capacity.

The extension of the mask order came on the same day as an appeal was filed against the Connecticut Department of Education and its commissioner Miguel Cardona for requiring students returning to public school wear face coverings.

The plaintiffs are two parents from Manchester and Niantic and the CT Freedom Alliance, which lists itself as a coalition of “parents, attorneys, legislators, doctors, scientists, and activists who are committed to preserving and expanding individual rights and freedoms in Connecticut.”

The plaintiffs claim the mask requirement infringes on their children’s right to a public education and that the Department of Education does not have the statutory or regulatory authority to issue such a requirement.

Marc E. Fitch

Marc E. Fitch is the author of several books and novels including Shmexperts: How Power Politics and Ideology are Disguised as Science and Paranormal Nation: Why America Needs Ghosts, UFOs and Bigfoot. Marc was a 2014 Robert Novak Journalism Fellow and his work has appeared in The Federalist, American Thinker, The Skeptical Inquirer, World Net Daily and Real Clear Policy. Marc has a Master of Fine Arts degree from Western Connecticut State University. Marc can be reached at [email protected]

27 Comments

  1. David
    August 19, 2020 @ 2:23 pm

    Hawaii recently had a small up turn in cases of covid. They immediately instituted a mask mandate and hard lock down on gatherings. Despite very good compliance with the mandates the case load continued to increase. This has happened in other locations as well. This is the real world in action. Masks do not prevent respiratory infections, if they did, don’t you think we would have been using them in the general population before now during flu season?
    Masks and separation of people has virtually no effect. As Sweden has shown all these efforts do is increase the length of time it takes to achieve herd immunity. The population will become infected at the beginning of an outbreak or at a steady rate until there are not enough previously uninfected individuals to infect. We used to know this but our political leaders apparently don’t know it or for some reason pretend not to know it.
    I think I know which it is.

    Reply

  2. Andrea Ferguson
    August 19, 2020 @ 9:59 pm

    I am so glad 2 parents and the CT Freedom Alliance are fighting for our rights, which as of today are being grossly violated. CT ‘s Covid-19 numbers are way below the average and CT should be well into phase 3.

    Reply

  3. Jelly Bean
    August 20, 2020 @ 6:32 am

    This is why my blood pressure goes up !

    Reply

  4. Chris S
    August 20, 2020 @ 9:15 am

    There was no “resurgence”, those southern states locked down before the virus was prevalent. Ned is a clown and we need to end his reign as dictator immediately.

    Reply

    • David
      August 22, 2020 @ 3:23 pm

      It’s apparent to me that any randomly selected responder to this article has more understanding of the worth of “face coverings” than the governor or the people advising him on this subject. If this “disease” is in fact spread by people breathing, and no that has not been proven, than masks wouldn’t prevent that form of transmission any way because if it did generations of people would have been wearing face masks every flu season. Masks are bearly of any benefit even in health care settings (see CDC Journal, May 2020, summary of 17 studies done from 1945 to 2018) where people know how to use them. Putting them on millions of healthy people is just insane and that would have been obvious not many years ago. Wake up people.
      Listen to the podcasts of,
      robertscottbell for more information we are not getting from the either stupid and lazy or agenda driven media.

      Reply

  5. Jon
    August 20, 2020 @ 9:25 am

    Running the numbers:

    CT Population (2020) : 3.7M

    Total Reported Infected in CT as of August 20, 2020: 51,314

    Total Reported Deaths in CT as of August 20, 2020: 4,457

    That means that a citizen living in CT has a 1.38% chance of getting infected based on the current infection ratio.

    It also means that 0.00012% of the population in CT has died from COVID-19. If infected you have a 91.4% chance of survival of among the current population of infected to death ratio.

    These stats are purely based on the public data, without knowing or acknowledging the variables within each infected individual and those who have died such as pre-determined health conditions, age, etc.

    Reply

    • John B
      August 30, 2020 @ 10:05 am

      Just a comment on the math,
      CT mortality rate per population is 0.12% I believe.

      I agree with the premise of the comments here though, I remain highly suspicious of the necessity for masks in the general population for otherwise healthy people.

      Reply

  6. Dave
    August 20, 2020 @ 1:18 pm

    Lockdown Lunacy 3.0 It’s over- JBHandleyblog.com

    Reply

  7. Kay
    August 20, 2020 @ 6:58 pm

    This has NOTHING to do with a virus it’s all about CONTROL!! I hope the people that voted for this idiot are happy! Just wait it’s going to get a lot worse!

    Reply

    • Nancy
      August 26, 2020 @ 11:37 am

      Is not about control is about SAVING LIVES

      Reply

      • edgar
        August 29, 2020 @ 6:52 am

        It has absolutely nothing to do with saving lives it’s all about control it’s a global experiment for a new world order just roll up your sleeves take your shot. You’ll be running scared when your DNA gets changed

        Reply

        • Christian
          September 1, 2020 @ 11:41 am

          You sound very crazy.

          Reply

      • Roger
        September 19, 2020 @ 12:19 pm

        Do the math, the numbers add up to seasonal flu but less do for younger people, hospitals have lied about the numbers for monetary reasons…and stop yelling at me in the store about my choice to not mask! My body my choice!!!

        Reply

  8. Bill
    August 20, 2020 @ 8:39 pm

    Marxist PROGRESSIVE Democrats destroy EVERYTHING they TOUCH

    Reply

  9. Nicole Smith
    August 20, 2020 @ 9:53 pm

    This is so ridiculous. Quarantining and masking the healthy?? You’re going to make them SICK. Number of cases is IRRELEVANT. The people that die of this die from comorbidities – overweight, heart disease, diabetes, etc. This should be a wake up call to people to get healthy and eat right. If it isn’t this virus it will be another. Stop masking and inhibiting the healthy and let children be children. Let them go to school without masks, without chemical sanitizers that kill the immune system. Stop feeding them junk. Get them in the fresh air. Get out there yourself. I haven’t met one healthy, vibrant, normal-weight person afraid of this virus. I’m certainly not.

    Reply

    • Al Robins
      September 1, 2020 @ 8:14 am

      100% At this time 54 people are in the hospital in CT. with COVID! 54! EVEN NUTJOB FAUCI said, numerous times,obesity, heart disease, diabetes, COPD etc. are high-risk groups. When will people take responsibility for their own darn selves? Take heed! Do better! Get educated! #KnowledgeIsPower

      Reply

  10. R
    August 21, 2020 @ 12:05 am

    Masks are not the answer. They do nothing. They are only giving false protection to fearful people. Before we were counting hospitalizations and deaths as a marker – not it’s just cases. People have lost their minds.

    Reply

    • Anita Gay
      August 22, 2020 @ 3:48 pm

      Losing one’s mind? I don’t think that using precautions means that I or anyone else has lost their mind
      Yes, some people are obsessed about the Coronavirus Pandemic.
      I’m a 64 year old disabled woman with multiple medical conditions, which makes me more compromised.
      If others want to be in my company they must wear a mask and so must I. I try to cooperate with social distancing guidelines, and I constantly wash my hands well.
      Please don’t look down on those who chose to be careful. Just as I would never deliberately insult you for not wearing a face mask.

      Reply

      • edgar
        August 29, 2020 @ 6:49 am

        Stop your whining the little violin is playing. You weren’t fearful before the pandemic every flu season were you? If you have that many medical conditions you should not be out of your house you want to take a chance with your life mask or no mask what a moron you are

        Reply

      • Bill
        September 7, 2020 @ 4:25 am

        People who choose to not wear a mask should be able to it is our right as an American to live free and not have to be ordered to do something against our will masks should be for people who are only infected so they do not spread their germs Most people do not wear their mask outside and if this was an airborne virus then we would all be sick and we’re not, just for the heads up I work in retail and nobody’s following the 6 foot rule or following the arrows anymore! The media has turned the public into paranoia nut cases in plain English! Some of the rules do not make any sense when you go into a restaurant you have to wear your mask at the hostess desk and then take it off when you sit in a table or a booth explain to me the coronavirus doesn’t go to tables or booths? it’s all bullshit!! It’s all about control!!!!!!

        Reply

        • Roger
          September 19, 2020 @ 12:12 pm

          Amen my friend, control is and foremost what’s at play

          Reply

      • paul drega
        September 19, 2020 @ 8:17 pm

        Did you not watch the whole video? The CDC said the masks actually make things worse for everyone. Masks will not reduce your chances of contracting the Rona compromised or not. Plus the virus is not transmissible if the wearer is asymptomatic or not actively sneezing. Even if the masks worked to prevent spread, which they dont, by what principle does your right to safety force others to harm themselves by inhaling excessive CO2? Quarantine yourself if you’re too ignorant to fix your medical problems. So yes you should be looked down on because you are in fact not being careful for yourself or others by thinking mask wearing works or by expecting others to wear one. Also, an insult is not the same as physical harm. You may be 64, but you think and behave like your 5. This is why so few elderly are respected these days. Most don’t deserve respect. They have become brainwashed scared little children who do not have an ounce of independence, love to play the victim and can no longer think for themselves. People like you are the reason america is in decline. Wake up and grow a pair.

        Reply

    • Nancy Shsnabttough
      August 26, 2020 @ 11:34 am

      It is a fact that masks help to stop spread. You are lucky due to Lamont’s precautions wearing masks and curtailing activities ect. our rate of spread is below one percent most of the time. Be thankful you are able to send your kids back to school. Children are sometimes asymptomatic but can spread the disease. No masks more kids sick and asymptomatic to spread in the general population. There is no way to stop the folks that want this. What are you gonna do. When more people get sick and die and we are all forced into our houses again we will look to this group. Hey we all would love your kids to use a normal school year but face it things are not NORMAL right now. People will get sick and they will close the schools again.

      Reply

      • edgar
        August 29, 2020 @ 6:50 am

        Paranoia the destroyer. Stop blaming perfectly healthy kids you are obviously a brainwashed sheep

        Reply

    • evon
      November 19, 2020 @ 7:11 am

      people need to stand together in this bs – if they keep it this way and more and more small businesses close we will be at the mercy of the government- the great reset people dont let it happen
      fight back

      Reply

  11. JK
    September 18, 2020 @ 4:18 am

    I hate to break it to you, but requiring proof of the disability completely flies in the face of DOJ guidance and case law (An employer may require documentation at some point regarding an employee, but this doesn’t apply to customers or constituents utilizing basic services). Good luck being sued over that at some point.

    Reply

  12. James
    February 9, 2021 @ 1:00 pm

    Connecticut doesnt have big cities, suspect thats why our numbers are low. Protect the vulnerable and let the rest of society go back to a normal way of life. How long do you want to run from an illness that the vast majority get over in a couple of weeks. A lot more damage has, and is being done to otherwise perfectly healthy people. If masks are the solution, explain CALIFORNIa. explain New York. I’ll explain it, they don’t care about poor children or elderly in homed. only care about power and maintaining it. Wake up America 🇺🇸

    Reply

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