On April 17, 2020, Governor Lamont issued Executive Order 7BB. While this order requires wearing masks or cloth coverings in public places when social distancing cannot be maintained, additional safe workplace rules issued by the Department of Economic Development
require
wearing masks or cloth coverings in workplaces, whether or not social distancing is a possibility. Employers
must
provide the masks or cloth coverings, and if not able to do so, employers
must
provide employees with the materials to create the masks or cloth coverings
or
compensate employees for reasonable costs expended to make their own masks or cloth coverings. The DECD safety rules specifically state:
- Each employee shall be required to wear a mask or other cloth material that covers his or her mouth and nose at all times while in the workplace. Employers shall issue such masks or cloth face coverings to their employees. In the event an employer is unable to provide masks or cloth face coverings to employees because of shortages or supply chain difficulties, employers must provide the materials and CDC Tutorial about how to create a cloth face covering, or compensate employees for the reasonable and necessary costs employees expend on such materials to make their own masks or cloth face covering.
- Nothing in these rules shall require the use of a mask or cloth face covering by anyone for whom doing so would be contrary to his or her health or safety because of a medical condition.
- If a person declines to wear a mask or cloth face covering because of a medical condition as described above, such person shall not be required to produce medical documentation verifying the stated condition.
These rules go into effect Monday, April 20, 2020 at 8 p.m.
For more information
about laws pertaining to COVID-19, visit our
Resource Center
which is updated regularly.
