State of Emergency in New Haven Declared by Mayor Justin Elicker

[Lee Cruz]

About 2 hours ago today Sunday, March 15 Mayor Elicker issued a state of emergency amidst the spread of COVID-19. after New Haven health officials have also been notified of another New Haven resident having COVID-19. To read the full text of the emergency order, follow this link: http://bit.ly/nhvsoe.  The State Statue and City Ordinance that are cited are listed below.  More information will be provided as it becomes available.

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State Statute Powers:

Sec. 28-8a. Municipal chief executive officers' powers during emergency. Benefits for certain persons assisting during emergency. Procedure for payment. (a) The chief executive officer of the municipality in which a major disaster or emergency occurs, or his designee, may take such action as he deems necessary to mitigate the major disaster or emergency and to secure and preserve any documents and evidence pertinent to and necessary for a future investigation.

From the definitions for this Statue: (8) “Local civil preparedness emergency” or “disaster emergency” means an emergency declared by the chief executive officer of any town or city in the event of serious disaster affecting such town or city.

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City Ordinance grants these powers to the Mayor in case of Emergency:

Sec. 11-23. - State of emergency—Authority of mayor to declare.

In the event of a major disaster caused by enemy attack, sabotage or other hostile action or by fire, flood or other causes or in the event of the imminence thereof, the mayor may declare that a state of emergency exists, in which he may personally, or through his duly authorized representative or representatives, take direct operational control of any or all parts of the emergency management forces and functions in the city.

New Haven Municipal Ordinances Sec. 28-22. Penalty. Any person who, wilfully and without lawful authority, destroys or injures any device, wires or equipment used or maintained for transmitting or signalling an air raid warning or alarm or makes connection with or in any way tampers or interferes with the same, or any person who reports, transmits or circulates, or causes to be reported, transmitted or circulated, a false alarm or warning of an air raid or of any enemy action, knowing that the same is false, or any person who unlawfully poses as or impersonates a police officer, air raid warden or other person engaged in civilian preparedness emergency service, or who unlawfully and in violation of federal or state regulations manufactures, sells, offers for sale, wears or uses the uniform, insignia or identification, or any simulation thereof, of any such police officer, warden or other person so engaged, or who wilfully impedes, interferes with or otherwise obstructs any lawful civil preparedness activity or other preparedness function of the national or state government or of the government of any political subdivision of the state, or who violates any provision of this chapter, shall be guilty of a class D felony.