NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — Governor Lamont held a press briefing Thursday morning from the Community Health Center of New Britain.
His announcement comes as the state enters day two of its Phase 2 reopening.
Following the briefing, Gov. Lamont toured New Britain's Five Churches Brewing at 12 p.m.
The visit is the governor's latest effort to meet with small business owners and staff, while viewing some of the precautions put in place to protect customers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The governor also released a statement following the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court to overrule President Trump’s attempt to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Gov. Lamont said Thursday:
“The Supreme Court affirmed today what we have been saying all along – Dreamers are members of our communities and any attempt to change that would be unjust and wrong. Tearing people from the only homes they have ever known is cruel, heartless, and – despite what the administration may claim – doesn’t even serve a national security purpose. As leaders elected to represent communities across our country, we should be doing everything in our power to make our country stronger, and this attempt to end the DACA program would have done the exact opposite. I applaud the Supreme Court for making the right decision today and giving Dreamers across our country the stability that they deserve.”
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On the first day of Phase 2 Wednesday, Gov. Lamont announced that coronavirus hospitalizations in the state continued to trend downward.
While CT now has confirmed 45,429 people who have tested positive for the virus, the number of residents being treated has dropped below 200.
As of Wednesday, 4,219 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported.
As Connecticut entered Phase 2, restrictions on restaurants, public spaces, and other businesses were eased.
Here is what will be allowed to reopen in phase two:
- Amusement Parks (up to 25% capacity)
- Hotels / Lodging
- Restaurants (indoor, no bar -- current table limit is 25)
- Museums, zoos, and aquariums
- Indoor recreation (e.g., bowling alleys, movie theaters, etc.)
- Libraries
- Outdoor arts, entertainment and events (up to 50 people)
- Personal services (e.g., nail salons, tattoo parlors, etc.)
- Sports and fitness facilities (e.g., gyms, fitness centers, pools, etc.)
During phase two, restaurants are permitted to welcome patrons back in for indoor dining. However, the current table limit is 25 people and bars are still not allowed. What can customers expect?
- Indoor waiting areas will be closed
- Visual markers to encourage 6 ft social distancing
- Buffet and self-serve stations eliminated
- Amenities non-essential to businesses main function (e.g. dance floor, pool table) closed or removed
- Employees to not share equipment. If shared, clean after each use
- Servers should serve specific zones in the restaurant to minimize overlap, where possible
- Businesses are strongly encouraged to use no-touch or disposable options for menus (e.g. phone app, whiteboard). If no-touch or disposable options are not utilized, businesses must sanitize menus between uses
- Use single use packets or containers
- Utensils should be rolled or packaged
- Install touchless appliances wherever possible, including: contactless payments, paper towel dispensers, soap dispensers, trash cans
