Jason Bowsza

3 mins · 

Good morning:

I want to start by sharing with you some of the key takeaways from last night’s statewide Emergency Management call.

First, the state is already better positioned to flatten the curve than we have been. Testing capacity continues to increase, with new testing locations continuing to come online. As of yesterday, there are 16 remote locations (20 locations in all) available for testing. As of last night, over 2300 tests have been performed, with 196 confirmed as positive.

That said, Connecticut is still only at the tip of the iceberg. The state is still preparing for the surge of illnesses that will be coming. The objective is to minimize to whatever extent possible the stress on our healthcare system. The focus remains on preventative measures aimed at protecting the most vulnerable populations: those with compromised immune systems, the elderly, and the homeless population.

The state has made a request for additional personal protective equipment from the Strategic National Stockpile, but we are being provided less than 25% of what we asked for. It is important to conserve and reuse whatever supplies we have.

Foodshare distribution will continue, as will mobile distribution locations. The breakfast and lunch program at the school will also be allowed to continue.

If anyone wants to follow along with the most recent COVID-19 information, they can visit www.211ct.org/covid19.

The governor’s most recent executive order – his ninth overall – orders nonessential businesses to close until April 23rd. Guidelines will be published explaining what “essential” and “non-essential” actually mean. Those will be published by Sunday night at 8pm at the very latest.

Businesses that will be deemed essential and allowed to remain open will include hospitals, healthcare facilities, nursing homes, resident care facilities, businesses that support the healthcare industry, utility companies, telecommunications, airports and other transportation infrastructure, and certain aspects of manufacturing (particularly those who manufacture parts necessary to support the healthcare push).

Grocery stores, package stores, banks, gas stations, auto repair shops, trash and recycling operations, homeless shelters, food banks and food pantries, certain human service providers, construction, skilled trades, businesses supporting defense and national security, and daycare centers will also be allowed to remain open.

This executive order is applicable to businesses and nonprofits, not to municipalities.

The governor will also be restricting municipal-level emergency orders prospectively, in order to ensure that we are acting in a truly regional fashion.

Again, this new order shuts down businesses and nonprofits until April 23rd.

Based on the information I’ve just shared with you, and on conversations with other municipal leaders and with Chief DeMarco, I am reducing the presence of Town personnel. The reduced presence will be as follows:
• Department heads are still to report to work;
• IN MOST CASES, office support staff should be working from home. The exceptions being that the Treasurer’s Office will still need to process payroll and process bills to be paid; Community Services will need to determine what staff are needed in that department to continue providing essential services (meals, transportation, certain assistance programs); and Public Works should implement their plan to swing-shift at a half-staff level. Police and fire are to operate at their full staffing levels as determined by their respective chiefs.
• The objective is to have one person per office now, wherever possible.
• Those no longer reporting to work should be available to return to work when that order is given.

This may change as the crisis evolves. Please notify your staffs accordingly.

Given the landscape as it is evolving, this is likely to be step 2 in a three-step phase down of Town services. Phase 1 was to close access to the public. Phase 2 is as I’ve just outlined. Phase three will be to reduce staffing down to essential personnel. I would ask department heads to use the coming days in the office to prepare for phase 3. Clean up loose ends that will need to be addressed in the short term with the expectation of a prolonged absence from work. Plan to be working from home and prepare accordingly. Some functions, where possible, should continue remotely. When necessary, I will designate which personnel should be considered essential and reduce staff to that level.

~ Jay

Jason E. Bowsza
First Selectman
Town of East Windsor
11 Rye Street
Broad Brook, CT 06016