Phase 3 of Connecticut”™s reopening strategy, postponed since mid-July, will go into effect on Oct. 8. It features expanded allowable capacity at outdoor and indoor venues, residences and restaurants ”“ but bars and nightclubs will remain closed.
In making the announcement, Gov. Ned Lamont said that the state has “earned” the privilege of upping those capacities, though bars and clubs remain off the table for the foreseeable future.
“We”™d like to think of end of the year,” the governor said of a timeline for those establishments reopening, presuming that a vaccine and 5-minute testing will be available. Noting the devastating effects that resulted earlier this summer from opening bars in such states as Florida and Texas, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner David Lehman said that the state did not want to have situations of “three deep at a bar.”
Similarly, Phase 3 was put on hold in July when Covid surges were seen in a number of states. Phase 1 began on May 20, and Phase 2 on June 17.
The decision to institute Phase 3 on Oct. 8 was made in part by the fact that most of Connecticut”™s schools and colleges have now been open for about three weeks, with infection numbers mostly holding steady, Lamont said; the state”™s infection rate has stood at roughly 1.1% for the past week, he added.
Beginning Oct. 8, maximum indoor capacity at restaurants and personal-service providers like barbershops, hair and nail salons will increase from 50% to 75%. At outdoor event venues, including amphitheaters and race tracks, capacity will grow from 25% to 50%. Indoor performing arts venues will be allowed to open at 50% capacity.
For private social and recreational facilities, including those that provide wedding space, the indoor capacity will rise to 50%, capped at 100 people; outdoors will go from 100 to 150 people. Events at private residences will be capped at 25 people.
Graduations and religious gatherings will max out at 50% capacity, capped at 200.
The usual mitigating practices (masks, social distancing) will still apply in all circumstances. “Obviously we”™re dialing up the risk a little bit,” Lamont said. “This is no time for us to lose our discipline.”
Noting that there are now over 170 Covid testing sites throughout the state, the governor stressed the need for citizens to get flu shots this year, with the state laying in plentiful supplies of vaccines. Lamont said he”™d like to see Connecticut”™s flu vaccination percentage move from the usual low 70”™s to the low 80”™s.
The governor said he expects to put out an official call for a special session of the General Assembly tomorrow morning.
Covid statistics
The state has now performed over 1.5 million Covid tests, netting 56,472 positive cases. Hospitalizations stand at 72, while Covid-related deaths now total 4,499.
Fairfield County has tallied 19,178 positive cases and 1,107 deaths; hospitalizations stand at 14.
Municipalities within Fairfield County that have recorded at least 500 cases are Bridgeport (4,132); Stamford (3,602); Danbury (2,743); Norwalk (2,189); Greenwich (955); Stratford (920); Fairfield (746); Shelton (689); and Trumbull (565).
As of this writing, there are more than 7 million positive cases and over 205,000 virus-related deaths in the U.S., with about 3.8 million recovered. Globally, there are more than 32 million positive cases and nearly 980,000 deaths, with more than 22 million recovered.
