State fines long-term care providers for COVID violations

HARTFORD —The Connecticut Department of Public Health has issued total of more than $19 million in fines against 101 longterm care facilities that failed to follow Gov. Ned Lamont’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, officials said Sunday.

Lamont’s executive order required employees of these facilities, that include nursing homes, assisted living services and residential care homes, to get vaccinated and for the facilities to attest by Sept. 28 that employees were in compliance.

However, 101 of the 643 facilities subject to the order have not reported to DPH as of Nov. 12, officials said.

“The fact that facilities have failed to report their compliance with EO 13F is unacceptable,” said DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD. “With the holidays and colder weather approaching, we expect cases of COVID-19 to rise in the community, which increases the chances that COVID-19 cases will rise in longterm care settings. These vaccine mandates are in place to protect not only the patients and residents in long-term care but to ensure the health and safety of staff and their families and coworkers.”

Along with those facilities not reporting, DPH said that 59 facilities reported late. Officials said that 26 of those facilities were fined last with penalties totaling $221,000.

The civil penalty per day is $5,000 for all facilities except residential care homes, which face a $500 per day fine.

DPH continues to review the remaining 101 facilities that have not reported. On Nov. 1, facilities classified as Non-Reporters were assessed on-going penalties, which did not include a seven-day grace period, the statement said.

As of Sunday, DPH had issued $19 million in fines against facilities that had not reported vaccine compliance to the state.

DPH did not name any of the facilities specifically that were failing to report vaccine compliance. Lamont’s order was one of the few vaccine mandates issued as the delta variant, a highly transmissible strain, was driving up infections and hospitalizations in the late summer and early fall.

Long-term care facilities that have not reported can do so by visiting dphflisevents.ct.gov/.