Latest easing of Covid restrictions: Reopening of bars, elimination of most protocols by May 19

Connecticut”™s Covid-related restrictions will, with the exception of wearing masks indoors, effectively end by May 19, according to Gov. Ned Lamont.

Under the state”™s latest guidelines, announced by the governor last night, bars that do not serve food ”“ which have remained closed since last spring ”“ can open for service on an outdoor-only basis on May 1. Those establishments will still be prohibited from serving only alcohol indoors.

Also effective May 1:

• The 8-person per table limit will be lifted for outdoors only dining, but will remain in effect for indoor service.
• The curfew for restaurants, entertainment venues, recreation venues and theaters will be moved ahead an hour to midnight.

Effective on May 19, contingent upon “sufficiently low rates of infections and increasing vaccination rates,” all remaining business restrictions will be lifted. The Department of Public Health (DPH) will issue recommendations for indoor and other large outdoor events, such as concerts, and further clarification on where masking will continue after May 19.

“We spent an hour or two Sunday morning going over all the different iterations, where we were on vaccinations and where we thought we could open up safely,” Lamont said. “Think about the economy and knowing the economy will never come back unless public health is front and center, and we wanted to get the right balance there.”

Noting that “an outside culture is relatively safer than being indoors,” Lamont said that there”™s “not as much of a risk” as there was during the winter, when Connecticut saw several Covid spikes. “We”™re going to be outside on May 1, and outside gives us some confidence a little like last year,” he said.

Connecticut Restaurant Association Executive Director Scott Dolch issued a statement saying that sector “can finally see light at the end of the tunnel. Today”™s news gives restaurants a plan and a timeline for recovery. It”™s possible because of the incredible job Connecticut has done fighting Covid, from the tireless work of local business owners and employees to put safety first, to the nation-leading efforts by Gov. Lamont and his team to get our population vaccinated.

“To that end,” Dolch continued, “our association will continue urging our members, their employees, and their patrons to get vaccinated. The faster we move on from this pandemic, the faster our businesses and our economy can recover.”

According to the latest DPH data, the state has now conducted about 8.3 million Covid tests, resulting in 331,401 positive cases; 96,083 of those have been in Fairfield County. The daily positivity rate stands at 2.68%, and there have been 8,014 deaths, including 2,147 in the county.

The state has administered 2.7 million vaccines, including over 1.7 million first doses and over 1 million second doses. A total of 61% of all adults in Connecticut over the age of 18 has received at least one dose so far.

Connecticut ranks second in the nation for administering the most vaccines per capita. All Connecticut residents over the age of 16 are eligible to receive the vaccines.