Connecticut dramatically rolls back COVID restrictions, allowing full indoor dining, increased entertainment and sports capacity; travel ban lifted

Gov. Ned Lamont on Thursday announced that he will soon roll out an expansive reopening plan for Connecticut, including allowing restaurants to operate at full capacity, loosening rules on sports and entertainment venues and lifting the travel ban.

Most of the changes will go into effect on March 19, with several more coming down the line over the following two weeks. The decision comes as President Joe Biden warns states not to move fast on reopening. Lamont said the decision was a result of Connecticut’s dropping COVID-19 metrics.

Under the reopening plan, restaurant, retail stores, houses of worship and a number of other places will be allowed to reopen at full capacity, but with masks and social distancing requirements as well as a curfew for restaurants. Bars must remain closed.

The plan will also allow sports to fully resume, including tournament play. Travelers will still be recommended to quarantine after arriving in Connecticut, but they will not be required to do so.

“We wanted to emphasize that which works and that which is enforceable,” Lamont said at his Thursday press briefing. “And we know what works is the mask, and we know what works is social distancing, and we know the curfew is something we can enforce.”

Although Connecticut’s reopening will affect a bevy of businesses, Lamont and his administration are not lifting the mask mandate or social distancing requirements like Mississippi and Texas plan to do. Those states’ rapid reopening plans drew criticism from many, including Biden.

“This is not Texas, this is not Mississippi. This is Connecticut. We are maintaining the masks,” Lamont said.

Asked about the state’s reopening plan, Dr. David Banach, an epidemiologist at UConn Health, said that while he recognizes the need to loosen restrictions, the state must remain vigilant about social-distancing and mask-wearing.

”We need to move carefully and cautiously with these measures,” Banach said. “As we move forward, we need to be very attentive to what’s happening around us and prepared in case we need to rollback.”

The recent decrease in COVID-19 positivity rates has been encouraging and that the state’s COVID-19 metrics could be plateauing, he added, though he cautioned that it is still too early to tell.

Lamont said he’s aiming to keep Connecticut reopened without any rollbacks.

“I hope to God that we don’t have to turn back this time, that the metrics stay in a positive direction,” Lamont said.

Connecticut’s reopening announcement comes a week and a half after Lamont announced that he was pivoting the state from an age- and risk-based vaccine rollout to a solely age-based vaccine rollout.

The vaccination change means that most frontline essential workers — with the one exception of educators — are no longer a priority for vaccination. Under Lamont’s reopening plans, a number of businesses, including restaurants, will be able to open much more broadly, even as many of their workers are not yet vaccinated.

Restaurants

Beginning on March 19, Connecticut restaurants will be permitted to move from 50% capacity to 100% capacity, with social distancing and mask requirements still in place.

Restaurants will also have an 11 p.m. curfew for on-site dining, and tables will be limited to a maximum of eight patrons.

Scott Dolch, the executive director of the Connecticut Restaurant Association, called the reopening plan “another important step in Connecticut’s nation-leading efforts to defeat COVID-19.”

“Throughout the pandemic, Connecticut restaurants have proven that it’s possible to serve customers safely and responsibly,” Dolch said. “They’ve shown they are ready to take this next step, and to help drive local communities and local economies across Connecticut as they work to return to a new normal.”

Bars that only serve beverages will still not be permitted to open at all under the new reopening phase.

Other businesses

Along with restaurants, a number of other businesses will also be able to expand to 100% capacity beginning March 19, including:

houses of worship

gyms

offices

retail stores

personal services

museums, aquariums, zoos

indoor recreation, with the exception of theaters

libraries

Gatherings

The state will expand private gathering limits to 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors, beginning on March 19.

Currently, the state caps gatherings at private residences to 10 people indoors and 10 people outdoors.

Also on March 19, private gatherings at commercial venues will also be expanded, to a maximum of 100 people indoors and 200 people outdoors.

Currently, the state caps gatherings at private residents to 25 people indoors and 50 people outdoors.

“So, think about this: your grandmother’s now been vaccinated, you didn’t get to see her for a long time,” Lamont said Thursday. “If you ever wanted to do a party with friends, this is probably a time you can start planning on that.”

Travel

Under the reopening plan, Lamont is also lifting the mandate behind the current travel advisory — meaning that the travel advisory is still in place as recommended guidance but won’t be enforced with fines or other punitive measures.

For the past few months, Connecticut’s travel advisory has required a 10-day quarantine or a negative COVID-19 test for anyone traveling from out-of-state. The only exceptions were for travelers coming from New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island, under an agreement that Lamont made with those states’ governors.

Sports

Lamont’s reopening plan also significantly opens up the playing field for sports teams.

According to Lamont’s plan, all sports will be allowed to fully practice and compete — including in tournaments — beginning on March 19.

Lamont’s administration said sports will still be subject to guidance from the state Department of Public Health.

A few weeks later, on April 2, indoor sports stadiums will be able to open at 10% capacity and outdoor event venues will be able to increase to 50% capacity, capped at 10,000 people.

Classrooms and summer camps

The reopening plan also allows early childhood classrooms to increase from a capacity of 16 to 20 students, beginning March 29.

Outdoor amusement parks will be allowed to reopen on April 2, in preparation for the summer months.

And while summer camps and festivals have not yet been given the green light, the reopening plan advises them to begin preparations for an eventual reopening.

Emily Brindley can be reached at ebrindley@courant.com.