DPH Releases Comprehensive Guidance and Recommendations for All Organized Sports

September 25, 2020

Below is an update on the state's COVID-19/coronavirus response efforts.

Data updates on testing in Connecticut

The following is a summary of the day-to-day newly reported data on cases, deaths, and tests in Connecticut. It is important to note that these newly reported updates include data that occurred over the last several days to a week. All data in this report are preliminary, and data for previous dates will be updated as new reports are received and data errors are corrected.

For several additional graphs and tables containing more data, including a list of cases in every municipality, click here.

Weekly update on the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes and assisted living facilities

The following documents contain the weekly data regarding each of the nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Connecticut that have reported positive cases of COVID-19 among their residents. The data is presented as it was reported to the state by each of the facilities. If a facility is not listed, that means it is reporting that it does not have any residents who have tested positive.

**Download: Report from September 25, 2020 on COVID-19 in Connecticut nursing homes
**Download: Report from September 25, 2020 on COVID-19 in Connecticut assisted living facilities

Governor Lamont signs 72nd executive order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19

Governor Lamont last night signed another executive order – the 72nd since he enacted the emergency declarations – that builds upon his efforts to encourage mitigation strategies that slow down transmission of the virus. Executive Order No. 9D enacts the following provisions:

  • Extension of prohibition on sale of alcohol by certain permittees without the sale of food: Extends the previously enacted prohibition on the sale of alcohol by certain permittees without the sale of food until at least November 9, 2020.
  • Extension of contracting flexibility regulated to student privacy data: Extends the provisions of Executive Order No. 7I, Section 5 through January 31, 2021.

**Download: Governor Lamont’s Executive Order No. 9D

Department of Public Health releases comprehensive guidance and recommendations for all organized sports

The Connecticut Department of Public Health today released comprehensive guidance and recommendations for organized sports, including youth and adult club and private league play. The department had previously released guidance to scholastic athletic leagues in Connecticut concerning fall sports. The guidance is intended to guide local health departments, municipalities, and league organizers in assessing the risk of play, and will be revisited later in the fall or early winter as the COVID-19 pandemic progresses. This guidance is based on a risk assessment for COVID-19 conducted by the National Federation of High School Associations, a national organization governing high school athletics. The guidance includes a description of the risk categories for sports, breaks down the risks of different activity associated with those sports, and makes recommendations for each of those activities.

“The COVID-19 pandemic does not mean all organized sports should stop. In fact, DPH recognizes the importance of physical activity for the health and well-being of everyone during this stressful period,” Acting Public Health Commissioner Dr. Deidre S. Gifford said. “We encourage children and adults to engage in lower-risk physical activities as part of a strategy to stay healthy and cope with this pandemic. Unfortunately, some team sports present a higher risk of transmitting COVID-19 during practice or play, and we recommend that those be either modified or postponed. We want anyone playing organized sports in Connecticut to be aware of the risks for contracting COVID-19, so everyone can make informed decisions. Our overall goal is for people to have fun and compete, keep physically active and fit, and most importantly stay safe and healthy during this pandemic.”

Below are the risk categorizations for sports and associated activities:

Table 1: Risk Categorizations with Associated Sports, National Federation of State High School Associations, Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, May 2020

Table 2: Recommendations for the Operation of Interscholastic, Club, and Recreational and Other Amateur Sports Activities

For more information, read the press release issued today by the Department of Public Health.

Providing information to Connecticut residents

For the most up-to-date information from the State of Connecticut on COVID-19, residents are encouraged to visit ct.gov/coronavirus. Residents can also subscribe to text message alerts from the state by texting the keyword COVIDCT to 888-777.

Individuals who have general questions that are not answered on the website can call 2-1-1 for assistance. The hotline is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance. Anyone who is out-of-state or requires a toll-free number can connect to Connecticut 2-1-1 by dialing 1-800-203-1234. This is intended to be used by individuals who are not experiencing symptoms but may have general questions related to COVID-19. Anyone who is experiencing symptoms are strongly urged to contact their medical provider.