Governor Ned Lamont issued new guidance on coronavirus to state employees on Monday.
Previous guidance required anyone returning from a level 2 or 3 country, which includes China, Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea, not return to work and self-monitor at home for 14 days when they return to the United States.
Now, the state is taking additional steps to help prevent and delay the spread of coronavirus.
The new guidance includes:
- There is now an immediate freeze on state employee travel on state business outside of Connecticut until further notice.
- Any employees working with out-of-state contractors who travel to Connecticut-based sites or employees planning to welcome out-of-state colleagues or other out-of-state visitors should evaluate if the activities can be done online or through teleconference. If so, that should be done.
- Any state of Connecticut-organized large meetings, conferences or gatherings that are anticipated to have over 100 people in attendance between now and April 30 will be evaluated to determine if the events should move to teleconference or be postponed.
- For meetings or events with large numbers of people within arm's length of each other, those 70 years old or older, those with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, chronic lung diseases or severely weakened immune systems should dial in or not attend.
- If you have a state-issued laptop, you're asked to get in the habit of bringing your laptop home every night to ensure flexibility.
- The use of disinfectants will be increased when cleaning state office buildings and the frequency of disinfectant cleaning will be increased. The focus will be on common touch points.
Lamont said people without symptoms should not be tested for coronavirus. If you were with someone who does not have symptoms, the risk of transmission is very low.
People are at a higher risk for COVID-19 if they have symptoms of the virus, including a cough, fever or shortness of breath and were in contact with a positive case of COVID-19 or have traveled to a country with community transmission, he added.
According to Lamont, the new guidance are appropriate to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
