COVID-19

Via American Trucking Associations (ATA) FMCSA extended – and modified – the emergency declaration that was set to expire on Aug. 14. The modified declaration provides regulatory relief for motor carriers and drivers providing direct assistance in support of relief efforts related to COVID-19, and has been expanded to included emergency restocking of distribution centers…

From Bloomberg News via Transport Topics. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin renewed a push for a more limited next-round U.S. pandemic relief package of “a little more than $1 trillion” on Aug. 12, saying that Democratic demands for spending more could be discussed down the road. “We can always come back later in the year or…

TSA has announced that they have approved an extension of the HME Exemption that allowed states to issue an extension of up to 180 days for HMEs expiring between March 1, 2020 – July 31, 2020. The 90-day extension makes the new exemption period for HMEs that would otherwise expire between March 1, 2020 –…

From Associated Press via Transport Topics. The Federal Reserve expressed concern July 29 that the viral outbreak will act as a drag on the economy and hiring in the coming months and said it plans to keep its benchmark short-term interest rate pegged near zero. In a statement at the end of its policymaking meeting…

From CT Mirror. State government’s coffers have swelled by hundreds of millions of dollars since the coronavirus struck in mid-March, despite warnings of a nearly $1 billion deficit just three months ago. Connecticut’s rainy day fund, which stood at $2.5 billion when the pandemic struck, now approaches $2.8 billion, according to an ongoing review of…

Governor Ned Lamont has issued an Executive Order creating a limited COVID-19 workers’ compensation presumption for essential employees. The presumption applies to essential employees who missed a day or more of work between the dates of March 10, 2020 and May 20, 2020, and the following conditions were met: such employee worked, at the direction…

From CT Mirror. Gov. Ned Lamont surprised lawmakers and lobbyists by announcing Friday afternoon he will sign an executive order creating a presumption that essential workers who contracted COVID-19 during the earliest days of the pandemic are eligible for workers’ compensation. “Connecticut owes a debt to the health care professionals, grocery store clerks, and other…

From FMCSA. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) hereby declares that the continuing national emergency warrants the extension of Emergency Declaration No. 2020-002. This extension continues the exemption granted from Parts 390 through 399 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) for the fifty States and the District of Columbia as set forth…

The COVID-19 pandemic has led state and federal government agencies to issue extensions of expiring credentials, many of which are still in effect. MTAC respectfully urges members to not wait until the end of any applicable extension to act on renewing credentials. If your business and/or your employees are currently operating on expired credentials, and…

From NBC Connecticut. Travelers from a total of nineteen states — an increase of three — are now subject to a self-quarantine upon arriving in Connecticut, the state announced on its travel advisory website Tuesday. The states involved are: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma,…