CONNECTICUT – Government Ned Lamont has announced that coronavirus business restrictions will be completely lifted on May 19 in Connecticut.
There will be two more reopening phases. On May 1, business opportunities will be moved back to midnight. Outdoor restrictions will also be lifted, so alcohol can be served without food and there will be no table size. Mandates for outdoor mask will be lifted, as long as social distance can be maintained.
On May 19, all business restrictions will be lifted. Lamont mandates remain in force, but there may be exceptions for people who have been fully vaccinated, Lamont said. The State Department of Public Health will also provide guidance on major indoor and outdoor events.
‘I think these are all the ways we have earned the right to return to our new normal, and I think you see on 1 May it’s going to be a little more fun from the outside which I appreciate as long as we are careful , ‘Lamont said during a news conference.
Individual businesses will still be able to mandate more restrictive rules than the state commands, Lamont said.
Rules for using school machines remain in effect until at least the end of the school year, Lamont said.
The Connecticut Restaurant Association praised Lamont’s decision.
“More than a year after this pandemic began, local restaurant owners and employees can finally see light at the end of the tunnel,” said Scott Dolch, executive director of the Connecticut Restaurant Association. “Today’s news gives restaurants a plan and a timeline for recovery. This is possible because of the incredible work Connecticut has done to fight COVID, from the tireless work of local business owners and employees to prioritize safety,” to the country’s leading efforts of Gov. Lamont and his team to get our population vaccinated. ‘
Lamont said he would have to speak to the state legislature after May 20 when his emergency forces expire. Things like mask mandates will have to be taken up by the Legislature.