Connecticut FAQ for Coronavirus Pandemic

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Testing places

The following is a list of testing hospitals within 25 miles of Darien recommended by the Governor of the State of Connecticut.  Please understand that you must first call your doctor before going to these testing sites.

Hospital
Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport, CT
Greenwich Hospital, Greenwich, CT
Danubury Hospital, Danbury, CT
Stamford Hospital, Stamford, CT
Saint Vincent Hospital, Bridgeport, CT

TESTING FOR COVID-19 

Question: How do I know if I should be tested for COVID-19, and where do I go to be tested? 

Answer: 

If an individual has a fever (greater than or equal to 100.0°) and a cough, or shortness of breath, please call your primary care provider for information regarding local testing locations. You will need an order from your primary care physician to be tested for COVID-19. If you do not have a primary care provider, and you have the symptoms of COVID-19 (a fever greater than or equal to 100.0°, and a cough or shortness of breath) please go to an urgent care center or to a federally qualified health center to get a doctor’s order to be tested.

TESTING CAPACITY AND SUPPLY OF PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Question: What is the state doing to ensure that there is adequate capacity for COVID-19 testing and a sufficient supply of protective equipment? 

Answer: 

Connecticut ordered personal protective equipment (PPE) from the Strategic National Stockpile. Due to high demand these items were on back order and so the supplies are expected to arrive March 19-20, 2020. Connecticut received significantly less than requested (only 14 percent of the initial request). State government agencies are implementing a plan to most efficiently distribute the equipment throughout the state. At the direction of Governor Lamont and the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the State of Connecticut has activated a framework for donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer’s body from injury or infection that are utilized by people providing healthcare services.

RESTRICTIONS ON WORKPLACES FOR NON-ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES

All workers at non-essential businesses in the state shall work from home. The governor is encouraging all businesses to employ, to the maximum extent possible, any telecommuting or work-from-home procedures that they can safely implement. The governor’s order excludes any essential business or entity providing essential services or functions, such as healthcare, food service, law enforcement, and similar critical services.

SCHOOL CLOSURES 

Question: Is my child’s school closed, and if so, until when? 

Answer: 

Governor Lamont has determined that to promote and secure the safety and protection of children in schools related to the risks of COVID-19, all public school classes will be canceled for all Connecticut students effective Tuesday, March 17 until at least March 31, 2020, and is encouraging private schools to follow the same schedule. As a result of evolving circumstances, the Governor has modified Executive Order 7 to account for the potential impact on schools that may be subject to longer-term cancellation of in-school classes and permits districts, upon reopening in the spring of 2020, to close schools on their normally scheduled end-dates, so long as local and regional boards of education provide 3/21/20 11 opportunities for continuity of education to all students to the greatest extent possible and consistent with federal and state guidance. 

 

ADVANCED PLACEMENT TESTING

Question: Will Advanced Placement (AP) tests still be administered this spring? 

Answer: 

The College Board, administrator of Advanced Placement exams, is offering students access to free, live AP review lessons, delivered by AP teachers from across the country beginning on Wednesday, March 25th. These optional, mobile-friendly classes are designed to be used alongside work that may be given by schools. These classes will also be available on-demand, so teachers and students can access them at any time. These online classes are not dependent on current AP teachers continuing instruction as we know many AP teachers now face challenges that would make that impossible. Additionally, for the 2019-20 AP Exam administration only, we’re developing secure 45-minute online exams for each course. These streamlined digital exams will not require any test booklet shipments, external proctors, or any additional workload for schools. The exam content will focus on what most schools were able to complete by early-March. For each AP subject, there will be two different testing dates. By April 3rd, we’ll publish the full exam schedule including the specific free-response question types that will compromise each AP exam. Please find more details at: https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/

CHILDCARE

Question: Will my child’s daycare center stay open?

Answer:

The state of Connecticut Office of Early Childhood is not instructing or requiring any program to close. Unless ordered by government officials, programs may remain open by their own determination which may be made considering guidance from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Public Health and/or your local health department or district. Please be in direct touch with your childcare provider regarding plans to stay open or to close. As information regarding COVID-19 is continuing to evolve, the guidance provided by State Agencies is subject to change.

Question: Where can I find childcare if my child’s school is closed? 

Answer: 

Licensed family childcare homes may, within their licensed capacity, provide full-time care to enrolled school age children whose schools have closed due to the COVID-19 virus as done during school vacations. United Way of Connecticut’s 211 Infoline is available to help you locate childcare. You can reach the 211 Infoline by dialing 211 from any telephone, or online at https://www.211childcare.org.

For answers to additional questions including paid sick leave and family medical leave, click here.

 

 

 

 

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Submitted by Darien, CT

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