Name: Phase 3 reopening set for Oct. 8, guidelines released
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Phase 3 reopening set for Oct. 8, guidelines released

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You are the owner of this article.You have permission to edit this article.Welcome,HARTFORD, CT (WFSB) -- The third phase of Connecticut’s reopening since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic is set to happen next month.Gov. Ned Lamont announced on Thursday that ‘Phase 3’ will happen on Oct. 8.The next phase will allow for indoor capacity at restaurants, libraries, personal service facilities, like hair salons and barbershops, to expand from 50% to 75% capacity, while also following COVID-19 safety requirements.Outdoor venues can increase capacity from 25% to 50% capacity, with masks and social distancing. Indoor venues can also open at 50% capacity.Right now, bars and nightclubs will remain closed.When it comes to gathering size changes, Lamont said the next phase will allow for indoor commercial establishments to allow for up to 100 people. Private residences can have up to 25.Outdoor establishments will be capped at 150 people.For graduations, the next phase will allow for 50 percent capacity, capping the crowd at 200 inside. Outside will allow for 50% capacity, or 6 foot spacing.As the state is starting to open up even more than before, this is in the face of a very slight uptick in the infection rate.Many may be wondering why this couldn’t have been done during the summer, when the infection rate was lower.In response, Lamont said he’s doing this in steps.“I wanted to hold off a few weeks ago. I wanted to see what the impact was from schools and in particular, colleges might be. It’s almost a month later, and we have a pretty good sense of where we’re headed and that’s why now, we’ve got another two weeks until October 8, by then I think we’ll have a pretty good frame of reference,” Lamont said.The reopening of schools was the priority in August, as outdoor dining was still viable.Now that schools are back and the weather is turning, the focus moves to the businesses.In response to the announcement, the Connecticut Restaurant Association released a statement saying "Today’s news is another important step in Connecticut’s nation-leading efforts to respond to COVID-19 in a safe and responsible manner. Like the rest of the country, Connecticut is not out of the woods of this pandemic by any stretch, but we've proven that it’s possible to be mindful of our local economy at the same time we keep our residents as safe as possible. It’s important to keep in mind that Connecticut returned to limited indoor dining on June 17. That means that for more than three months, customers throughout the state have been dining indoors while Connecticut has held COVID transmission to some of the lowest levels in the country. Connecticut restaurateurs have proven their ability to adapt, follow new rules, and serve customers safely. Today’s news is a recognition of their hard work and commitment to being part of the solution, and a recognition that the state must help a sector that at its peak employed 10% of the state’s workforce. We want to thank Governor Lamont, Commissioner Lehman, and the rest of their administration for their continued partnership and communication on these issues. Connecticut restaurants will need more help to make it through this difficult time, but the Governor has found ways to keep our industry and others moving ahead of other states, and to do it safely. We look forward to continued work with his administration in the weeks and months ahead."Copyright 2020 WFSB (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.×××Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,racist or sexually-oriented language.PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.Don't Threaten. Threats of harming anotherperson will not be tolerated.Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyoneor anything.Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ismthat is degrading to another person.Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link oneach comment to let us know of abusive posts.Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitnessaccounts, the history behind an article.

You are the owner of this article.You have permission to edit this article.Welcome,HARTFORD, CT (WFSB) -- The third phase of Connecticut’s reopening since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic is set to happen next month.Gov. Ned Lamont announced on Thursday that ‘Phase 3’ will happen on Oct. 8.The next phase will allow for indoor capacity at restaurants, libraries, personal service facilities, like hair salons and barbershops, to expand from 50% to 75% capacity, while also following COVID-19 safety requirements.Outdoor venues can increase capacity from 25% to 50% capacity, with masks...

Phase 3 reopening set for Oct. 8, guidelines released

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