- Governor Ned Lamont extends restaurant curfew from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Decision follows decline in Connecticut’s COVID-19 daily positivity rate and hospitalizations
- Connecticut Restaurant Association hopes to see end to curfew cap in coming weeks
Governor Ned Lamont has extended the curfew for Connecticut restaurants, about three months after this limitation was put in place as part of a rollback of the state’s reopening rules.
Restaurants may now remain open until 11 p.m. They were previously required to clear out customers by 9:30 p.m. and close by 10 p.m. Restaurants are still required to limit their indoor dining capacity to 50 percent and maintain adequate social distancing.
Lamont has also lifted a 100-person maximum limit for houses of worship, although religious services are still capped at 50 percent capacity. Attendees must also continue to maintain social distancing and wear masks.
Lamont cited Connecticut’s improving COVID-19 statistics as the reason for these decisions. The state’s daily positivity rate in testing for the virus has remained below 5 percent since Jan. 21, and hospitalizations are at their lowest point in weeks. In the latest update from the governor’s office, the daily positivity rate was 3.86 percent and 912 people in the state were hospitalized with COVID-19.
Connecticut took similar action last year in response to more positive news on COVID-19 data, advancing to Phase 3 of its reopening plan in October. Lamont acknowledged that the numbers worsened soon after this action, prompting a rollback to a modified version of Phase 2 that has been in place since early November. However, he said he hopes that the lower infection rate, coupled with an ongoing vaccination effort, will mark a turning point in the state’s response to the virus.
The latest figures indicate that 338,859 first doses have been administered, while 86,285 people have received their second doses and are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Forty-five percent of Connecticut residents over the age of 75 have been vaccinated. However, health officials have cautioned that continued vigilance is necessary as more contagious COVID-19 variants continue to spread.
The Connecticut Restaurant Association said in a statement that it appreciates Lamont’s decision, but hopes that it can fully lift the curfew in the coming weeks. The organization noted how Massachusetts and Rhode Island have already ended their curfews.
