STATE OF CONNECTICUT
BY HIS EXCELLENCY
NED LAMONT
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 7H

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PROTECTION OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
AND RESPONSE - RESTRICTIONS ON WORKPLACES FOR NON-ESSENTIAL
BUSINESSES, COORDINATED RESPONSE EFFORT

WHEREAS, on March 10, 2020, I issued declarations of public health and civil preparedness
emergencies, proclaiming a state of emergency throughout the State of Connecticut as a result of
the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in the United States and confirmed spread in
Connecticut; and
WHEREAS, my Executive Order No. 7, dated March 12, 2020, among other things, prohibited
gatherings of 250 people or more for social and recreational activities, including but not limited
to, community, civic, leisure, and sporting events; parades; concerts; festivals; movie screenings;
plays or performances; conventions; and similar activities, and suspended various statutes and
regulations to protect public health and safety; and
WHEREAS, my Executive Order No. 7A, dated March 13, 2020, authorized the Commissioner
of Public Health to restrict entrance into nursing homes and similar facilities to protect people who
are most vulnerable to COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, my Executive Order No. 7B, dated March 14, 2020, among other things, modified
in-person open meetings requirements, waived certain rules to mitigate the critical shortage of
hand sanitizer and personal protective equipment (PPE), maintain and increase the availability of
childcare, and provide for increased healthcare resources and facilities; and
WHEREAS, my Executive Order No. 7C, dated March 15, 2020, among other things, cancelled
classes in public schools for at least two weeks, provided for closure and remote conduct of
business at Department of Motor Vehicle branches, extended deadlines for municipal budget
preparations, and suspended or modified laws and regulations governing health care data and
visitation at ce1iain health care and congregate care settings; and
WHEREAS, my Executive Order No. 7D, dated March 16, 2020, restricted social and recreational
gatherings of all types to fewer than 50 people, closed bars and restaurants to all service except
food and non-alcoholic beverage takeout and delivery, closed gyms, fitness centers and movie
theaters, and prohibited on-site operations at off-track betting facilities; and

 WHEREAS, my Executive Order No. 7E, dated March 17, 2020, among other things, waived the
requirement for an 180-day school year, suspended fingerprinting availability to that for critical
requirements, extended the duration of various licenses and permits under the authority of the
Commissioner of Emergency Services and public protection, and suspended certain requirements
for recoupment of overpayment and hearings conducted by the Department of Social Services; and
WHEREAS, my Executive Order No. 7F, dated March 18, 2020, ordered the closure of Large
Shopping Malls, the closure of places of public amusement except public parks and open recreation
areas, expanded Medicaid telehealth coverage, waived in-person service, hearing, and screening
requirements for ce11ain Probate Com1 proceedings in vulnerable group care settings, and clarified
my order cancelling school classes; and
WHEREAS, my Executive Order No. 7G, dated March 19, 2020, ordered the postponement of
the presidential primaty, suspended non-critical court operations, expanded the availability of
telehealth services, and enacted additional public health measures;
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 spread ofCOVID-19, the United States Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and the Connecticut Depattment 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 people and social distancing in smaller
gatherings; and
WHEREAS, to facilitate the most timely and effective response to the COVID-19 emergency
disaster, it is critical for the State of Connecticut to act quickly to gather, coordinate, and deploy
goods, services, professionals, and volunteers of all kinds;
WHEREAS, in a short period of time, COVID-19 has rapidly spread throughout Connecticut,
necessitating updated and more stringent guidance from federal, state, and local officials; and
NOW, THEREFORE, I, NED LAMONT, Governor of the State of Connecticut, by vittue of the
authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the State of Connecticut, do hereby
ORDER AND DIRECT:

I. Restrictions on Workplaces for Non-Essential Businesses. Effective on
Mm·ch 23, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. and through April 22, 2020, unless earlier
modified, extended, or terminated by me, all businesses and not-for-profit
entities in the state shall employ, to the maximum extent possible, any
telecommuting or work from home procedures that they can safely employ.
Non-essential businesses or not-for-profit entities shall reduce their in-person

 workforces at any workplace locations by 100% not later than March 23, 2020
at 8:00 p.m. Any essential business or entity providing essential goods, services
or functions shall not be subject to these in-person restrictions.
Not later than 8 p.m. on March 22, 2020, the Department of Economic and
Community Development ("DECD") shall issue lawfully binding guidance
about which businesses are essential. Those business shall include, but not be
limited to, the 16 critical infrastructure sectors as defined by the Depa11ment of
Homeland Security and available at https://wv./w.cisa.gov/criticalinfrastructure-sectors, essential health care operations including hospitals,
clinics, dentists, pharmacies, elder care and home health care workers,
companies and institutions involved in the research and development,
manufacture, distribution, warehousing, and supplying of phmmaceuticals,
biotechnology therapies, health care data, consumer health products, medical
devices, diagnostics, equipment, services and any other healthcare related
supplies or services; essential infrastructure, including utilities, wastewater and
drinking water, telecommunications, airports and transportation infrastructure;
manufacturing, including food processing, pharmaceuticals, and industries
supp011ing the essential services required to meet national security
commitments to the federal government and U.S. Militmy; the defense
industrial base, including aerospace, mechanical and software engineers,
manufacturing/production workers, aircraft and weapon system mechanics and
maintainers; essential retail, including grocery stores and big-box stores or
wholesale clubs, provided they also sell groceries; pharmacies, gas stations and
convenience stores; food and beverage retailers (including liquor/package
stores and manufacturer permittees) and restaurants, provided they comply with
previous and future executive orders issued during the existing declared public
health and civil preparedness emergency; essential services including trash and
recycling collection, hauling, and processing, mail and shipping services; 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; vendors of essential
services and goods necessmy to maintain the safety, sanitation and essential
operations of residences or other essential businesses, including pest control
and landscaping services; vendors that provide essential services or products,
including logistics and technology support, child care and services needed to
ensure the continuing operation of government agencies and the provision of
goods, services or functions necessmy for the health, safety and welfare of the
public.
Any other business may be deemed essential after requesting an opinion from
DECD, which shall review and grant such request, should it determine that it is
in the best interest of the state to have the workforce continue at full capacity to
properly respond to this emergency.

 2. Coordinated Response Effort. Effective immediately and for the duration of
the public health and civil preparedness emergency, notwithstanding Section
28-8a of the Connecticut General Statutes, in order to ensure the coordinated,
clear and expeditious execution of civil preparedness functions for the
protection of the public health, and pursuant to my emergency powers,
including but not limited to Section 28-9(b) of the Connecticut General Statutes,
no municipal chief executive officer or designee may enact or enforce any order
that conflicts with any provision of any of my Executive Orders or an order
issued by an executive agency pursuant to the existing public health and civil
preparedness emergency, or issue any shelter-in-place order or order
prohibiting travel, unless they first seek and receive written permission from
the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. The provisions
of this order shall not be deemed to invalidate any order previously issued by a
municipal chief executive or designee or preclude a municipality from
enforcing any existing local rule or ordinance that does not conflict with any
executive order issued pursuant to my March 10, 2020 declaration of public
health and civil preparedness emergency.

Dated at Hartford, Connecticut, this 20th day of March, 2020.

Ned Lamont
Governor

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Denise W. Merrill
Secretary of the State