Connecticut’s governor has directed the National Guard to replace state employees who will be placed on unpaid leave starting next week due to their non-compliance with the COVID-19 vaccination mandate. Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, announced on Wednesday that he has directed executive branch state agencies to prepare for placing their employees on unpaid leave between Oct. 5 and Oct. 11 if they do not provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or comply with weekly testing requirements, according to a statement. Lamont instructed the Connecticut National Guard’s Maj. Gen. Francis Evon to prepare for the deployment of the National Guard if state agencies that “provide critical health and safety services” become short of staff. If deployed, qualified members of the Connecticut National Guard would supplement the operations of those understaffed state agencies until replacement employees are hired or employees placed on unpaid leave comply with the vaccine mandate. As of Thursday, …