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Mayor Justin Elicker with his cloth mask, now required for retail staff, customers.
Anyone inside of a local grocery store, pharmacy, or a variety of other local retail outlets will be required to wear a face mask starting Friday morning, according to the mayor’s latest executive order designed to stem the spread of Covid-19.
Mayor Justin Elicker announced the new executive order Wednesday afternoon during his daily coronavirus-related virtual press briefing held online via the Zoom teleconferencing app and on YouTube Live.
His office sent out an emailed press release about the order soon after the press conference had concluded.
The city currently has 775 positive Covid-19 cases and 19 verified coronavirus-related deaths.
The order will go into effect Friday morning, and will require employers, employees, and customers to wear face coverings while inside “essential retail businesses,” including grocery stores and big-box stores or wholesale clubs that also sell foods or beverages; restaurants and hotels where food is prepared, pharmacies, gas stations, convenience stores, and liquor/package stores.
He said that the order will also require employers of such retail outlets to provide masks to their employees.
See below for the full text of the order.
Just as he did when he first announced 11 days ago the city’s recommendation that all New Haveners wear cloth masks while out in public, Elicker reiterated that wearing a non-medical mask will not prevent the wearer from contracting the novel coronavirus.
“Wearing a mask makes sure that, if you have the virus, you do not spread it to others,” he said. That’s according to the latest federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, which estimates that many Covid-positive carriers of the virus are asymptomatic and may unwittingly communicate the disease to friends, loved ones, and passerby simply by close physical contact. A cloth mask prevents a potentially asymptomatic carrier from spreading the disease through a cough or a sneeze n public.
Elicker said that the city Health Department has received a number of complaints from members of the public about feeling unsafe inside stores over the past week because the people around them are not wearing masks.
“This is a strong step in the right direction, particularly as we try to mitigate the spread,” he said.
“It’s important that people not use medical grade masks,” he clarified. The city is not requiring or encouraging New Haveners to wear N95 respirators or any other kind of mask more appropriately reserved for health care providers.
These masks can instead be made out of handkerchiefs and headbands, he said. “Masks are easy to create and cost relatively little money.”
When asked how the city plans to enforce this new order, Elicker replied that his administration will follow the same protocols it has followed in enforcing the various reduced occupancy orders that he issued in March.
That is, if the city finds out that a store is in violation, the city will send someone to the location to talk with the employer, employees, and customers about the mandate.
“We don’t want this to be something where we’re penalizing people.” He said whom the city sends on such order-enforcing tasks, whether a police officer or a Health Department employee, will depend on the situation.
When asked how he plans to enforce the order on customers in particular, Elicker said that a business owner or manager “has a lot of influence” because that person can potentially deny service to a customer not wearing a mask.
“We’d ask the business owner or manager to remind customers that they should be wearing a mask when they go into stores.”
Elicker said that this new emergency order only applies to people inside of stores, and not to people going outside for a walk.
He said that Hamden and Bridgeport plan to issue similar executive orders later this week, and that Los Angeles and the New York State have already issued similar orders.
Other updates included:
• City Health Director Maritza Bond (pictured) said that verified positive coronavirus infections amongst staff and residents at three local nursing homes have increased in recent days. She said that 68 residents and staff at Yale New Haven Hospital’s Grimes Center have tested positive for the virus, as have 19 individuals at Fair Haven’s Mary Wade Home and 11 individuals at RegalCare in Fair Haven Heights. She said city and state public health officials are working closely with nursing home staff at these three locations to review policies designed to mitigate the spread of the virus. The elderly and immunocompromised are uniquely vulnerable to suffering physical hardship and even death after contracting the virus, and nursing homes around the country have struggled to contain the spread among vulnerable populations living in close quarters.
• Bond said that the city Health Department has verified 13 of the 19 state-reported local Covid-19 fatalities by tracking down the individuals’ death certificates and confirming that the medical professional who signed the certificate indeed listed Covid-19 as the cause. She said the city is confident in the veracity of the state’s numbers, but that it nevertheless seeks to verify each fatality because of an incident in March where the state reported that an individual had died when that person in fact had survived.
Wednesday’s virtual press briefing.
She said that the city has designated two local funeral home services as “sub-registrars” where other local funeral homes can go, pay for, and apply for city-sanctioned burial permits since the Department of Vital Statistics office remains shuttered indefinitely to the public along with the rest of City Hall per the mayor’s declared state of emergency. “We got three days a week to pick up those applications and finish the process internally,” she said. She declined to share the names of the two city-designated funeral home “sub-registrars,” saying that she will share their names publicly after first notifying those particular businesses.
Elicker said that his administration is still looking into the source of any potential discrepancy between the number of Covid-19 fatalities reported by the state to the city and verified by his office, and those reported by local African American funeral homes, who have spoken publicly about burying many more coronavirus-positive African Americans than the official numbers have indicated.
“We’re all working hard to get a full and accurate and timely assessment of the situation,” he said. “We’re all trying to get the right answer here.”
Elicker said that, of the city’s 19 confirmed coronavirus-related fatalities, 10 have been African American, six white, and three Hispanic.
• Elicker said that the new drive-through testing site that Abbot Laboratories and CVS Health plan to open at the former Gateway Community College on Long Wharf should be open and conducting tests starting this Friday.
EMERGENCY ORDER NO. 5 REGARDING REQUIRED USE OF FACE COVERINGS IN PUBLIC
WHEREAS, on March 10, 2020, the Governor of the State of Connecticut declared a public health emergency and a civil preparedness emergency for the State of Connecticut, pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes Sections 19a-131 and 28 – 9, in response to the global pandemic of COVID-19 disease associated with a novel coronavirus that is currently affecting multiple countries and states; and,
WHEREAS, on March 12, 2020, the Governor of the State of Connecticut issued Executive Order Number 7, limiting the number of individuals that may convene, meet or otherwise gather throughout the State, to no more than 250 people or more for social and recreational activities including, but not limited to, community, civic, leisure, or sporting events; parades; concerts; festivals; movie screenings; plays or performances; conventions; and similar activities; and,
WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020, the President of the United States declared a national emergency to combat the coronavirus that is currently infecting the population of the United States; and
WHEREAS, on March 15, 2020, the Mayor of the City of New Haven, pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes Sections 28 – 8a(a), 28 – 1(8), and 28 – 22, and Chapter 11, Section 11 – 23 et seq. of the Code of General Ordinances of the City of New Haven, declared a state of emergency due to the significant danger to public health posed by the spread of COVID-19 and shortages of supplies and equipment necessary to protect the public health and safety, and the spread of COVID-19 to residents of the City of New Haven as a result of the global pandemic; and
WHEREAS, on April 10, 2020, the Governor of the State of Connecticut issued Executive Order 7X extending previously issued orders regarding Closures, Distancing, and Safety Measures Through May 20, 2020; and
WHEREAS, due to the significant adverse impact on public health of COVID-19, the Mayor must take action for the purpose of ensuring civil preparedness and mitigating the adverse effects of this emergency situation upon the residents of New Haven; and
WHEREAS, among best practices and prescribed measures of mitigation in light of this public health emergency is social distancing and the wearing of masks or cloth face coverings in public places where social distancing is difficult to maintain; and
WHEREAS, the powers granted by Connecticut General Statutes Sections 28 – 8a(a), 28 – 1(8), and 28 – 22, and Chapter 11, Sections 6, 7 and 11 – 23 et seq. of the Code of General Ordinances of the City of New Haven, proclaim said Mayor to have and exercise all executive and administrative powers conferred upon any municipal chief executive; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the duties assigned by the City Charter to the Mayor of the City of New Haven that require the Mayor to cause the Charter, the Ordinances and laws to be executed and enforced, and to conserve the peace within the City, the Mayor shall be responsible for the good Order and efficient government of the City; and
WHEREAS, in response to the issuance of declarations of a public health emergency and a civil preparedness emergency by the State of Connecticut, a declaration of national emergency and the spread of COVID-19 to residents of the City of New Haven; and
WHEREAS, it is in the best interests of the City and people of New Haven to promote public health and to ensure civil preparedness and to minimize the adverse impacts of the current public health emergency and civil preparedness emergency posed by the spread of COVID-19.
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that, pursuant to the powers and duties granted in the Connecticut General Statutes and the Code of Ordinances of the City of New Haven, in response to the civil preparedness and public health emergency now facing the City of New Haven, and in accordance with guidance from the Center for Disease Control and advice from the City’s public health officials to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, effective on Friday, April 17, 2020, at 12:01 a.m.:
That all workers who work in essential retail businesses including grocery stores and big-box stores or wholesale clubs that also sell foods or beverages; restaurants and hotels where food is prepared, pharmacies, gas stations, convenience stores, and liquor/package stores must wear face coverings over their noses and mouths while performing their work. Face coverings are not required to be medical-grade masks or N95 respirators, but rather may be non-medical grade masks, cloth masks, or other fabric coverings, such as scarves and bandanas. All workers required to wear these face coverings must wash any reusable face coverings at least once a day. Single-use face coverings must be properly discarded into trash receptacles and disposed of.
Face coverings for employees required under this order must be provided by the employers, although an employee may provide his or her own face covering.
The use of medical-grade masks or N95 respirators is discouraged because those masks are or may be in short supply and should be reserved for health-care personnel or first responders.
All customers and visitors of retail businesses subject to this order must wear face coverings over their noses and mouths to provide additional protection for employees and customers. Face coverings need not be medical-grade masks or N95 respirators but may be non-medical grade masks, cloth masks, or other fabric coverings, such as scarves and bandanas.
An owner or operator of a retail business subject to this order may refuse admission or service to any individual who fails to wear a face covering.
Owners and operators of retail business subject to this order shall use proper sanitization practices to sanitize frequently used and touched items and infrastructure within stores and provide proper hand washing and sanitizing materials for employees as recommended by the CDC.
This order is subject to enforcement by the Director of the Health Department of the City of New Haven.
IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that nothing in this order should be deemed or construed to counteract, reverse, withdraw, revoke or otherwise amend any other previously or subsequently issued order unless expressly stated; and,
IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that this order shall remain in effect until September 14, 2020, (the” effective period”) unless amended or earlier terminated; and
IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that this order will be made publicly available for inspection and review in the Office of the Town Clerk of the City of New Haven and shall be posted on the City of New Haven website.
No shirt, no shoes, no mask...No Service.
Seems like it's getting easier and easier but hey, it's only free will.
What is going to happen when the citizens and business owners have enough of the oversight? Your actually going to use police, who are already running thin and plans to reduce department size, to enforce this crap? Are you going to lock up store owners who allow those not wearing or who don't care about people wearing masks into their businesses?
I certainly hope CT gets the economy started soon because if not the virus is the last thing you'll be worrying.