CT Fines 2 People For Violating Coronavirus Travel Rules

CONNECTICUT — Gov. Ned Lamont said the state will step up enforcement of coronavirus regulations related to parties, travel and masks.

People who have a medical exemption for masks will need to carry a note from their doctor, Lamont said. Lamont’s executive order pertaining to masks mandates that they be used when social distancing can’t be maintained. It is generally interpreted as being required in stores and outdoors in crowded areas.

Lamont said the exemption has been abused by people who don’t really have a medical condition that would make mask use unhealthy.

“I think people are beginning to abuse that privilege so from here on out just bring your doctor’s permission with you when you aren’t wearing that mask and are in that store,” he said at his Monday news conference.

Meanwhile, two travelers were fined after they refused to fill out the state’s travel quarantine form. One is from Louisiana and the other is from Florida. One of the travelers was fined twice; once for not filling out the travel form and another for not following the 14-day quarantine rule.

Around 20,000 travel forms have been submitted to the state, said state COO Josh Geballe. The state gets about 1,000 forms per day.

The state will step up enforcement on large private gatherings. The current reopening rules allow up to 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors at private gatherings. The same rules that apply to stores, such as mask use, apply in those instances as well, Lamont said.

Connecticut will also step up enforcement of businesses that are violating rules with fines and potential closures. Lamont said this is mostly done at the local level and noted that several bars in Bridgeport were masquerading as restaurants and hosting large gatherings. The city in those instances shut down the businesses.

Bridgeport recently saw an uptick in cases. The local health department is still working to link the cases, but so far many of them seem to be linked to larger events in the city going late into the night, Geballe said.

A sports bar in Milford was recently shut down due to violations on gathering sizes.

Connecticut had 247 coronavirus cases reported over the weekend out of more than 38,000 tests for a positive test rate of about 0.6 percent. The rate is among the lowest in the nation and much better than neighboring Rhode Island.

The state also reported another three coronavirus-related deaths. Net hospitalizations dropped by one patient down to 64.

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