A new executive order mandates that Connecticut residents provide a doctor’s note to prove they are exempt from wearing a face mask due to a medical condition.
Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz signed the order Friday requiring residents to prove they are medically exempt from wearing a mask.
Someone is exempt from wearing a mask “only if such person provides written documentation that the person is qualified for the exemption from a licensed medical provider, the Department of Developmental Services or other state agency that provides or supports services for people with emotional, intellectual or physical disabilities, or a person authorized by any such agency,” the executive order read.
“Such documentation need not name or describe the condition that qualifies the person for the exemption.”
The order went into effect on Friday and will remain in effect for six months, CNN reported.
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Connecticut residents 2 and older have been required to wear masks in public spaces where social distancing isn’t possible since April 20.
These public spaces include but are not limited to public transportation, taxis and rideshare vehicles.
The executive order also granted the commissioner of the state Department of Economic Community Development permission to “issue or amend Sector Rules to establish size limits for private gatherings of people who do not live in the same household, regardless of whether such gathering has been organized by a business.”
As of Tuesday morning, there have been 51,267 cases of COVID-19 in Connecticut, according to the Department of Public Health.
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To date, 4,456 people have died from the coronavirus.
Forty-two patients were hospitalized with the virus Tuesday, the lowest number since March 20, according to WVIT-TV.
Connecticut is one of 34 states, in addition to the District of Columbia, that have issued some form of a mask mandate, Axios reported.
Some city and local governments also have mask mandates even if their state as a whole has not enacted one.
Forbes reported that all states with Democratic governors have mask mandates. Last week, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden declared that masks should be required outdoors in every state.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, masks might help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
“Masks are most likely to reduce the spread of COVID-19 when they are widely used by people in public settings,” the CDC guidance reads.
A notice at the top of the page, however, reads “a mask may not protect the wearer, but it may keep the wearer from spreading the virus to others.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
