If you recall way back in March, Governor Ned Lamont declared a civil preparedness and public health emergency which granted his office broad powers.  Those powers have been seen with various Executive Orders that have followed.

That declaration was set to expire today, September 9th.

However, a few days ago, the Governor issued a new declaration renewing the existing public health emergency and civil preparedness emergency to February 9, 2021.

Now, in further response, the Governor yesterday issued new Executive Order 9A which reissues and extends all prior Executive Orders to November 9, 2020 if they were to expire on September 9th or expire within six months of issuance.

Executive Order 9A keeps any specific deadline that was in the order itself such as the eviction moratorium.

For employers, the practical effect of this will be that the Sector Rules for essential businesses, and Phase I and II reopenings, will likely remain in place through at least November 9th.

Indeed, it seems as this point that the state is taking a wait-and-see approach for the next few months.  Schools are back in session and, while the COVID-19 numbers remain in check, there has been a slight increase in recent weeks (even as the positivity rate has stayed below 1 percent).

Governor Lamont indicated yesterday that it’s not yet time to move to Phase 3 – meaning bars will remain closed and indoor restaurant capacity will remain limited.  Lamont went on to add that he remains very concerned that November will be a “period of risk” as colder weather means more people may seek refuge indoors.

The return to school has also caused a number of headaches for both employers and employees.  My colleagues have prepared a new blog post on the impact that the hybrid instructional model is having on the application of various paid leave rules.