CT Patch Survey: Business Owners Eager To Open But Also Worried

CONNECTICUT — A large majority of Connecticut business owners responding to a Patch survey said they will reopen as soon as the state permits, which is May 20 but more than a quarter say they will hold off, many because they fear they cannot do so safely.

And while nearly 60 percent of business owners responding to a patch survey approve of Gov. Ned Lamont's response to the pandemic, only 40 percent agree with the timeline he has set out.

A third of respondents dislike the timeline, though for differing reasons: some think he's going too fast, and some think he's going too slow.

Wednesday marks the first day of Connecticut's phase one reopening plan. Offices, retail stores, outdoor dining and outdoor museums and zoos are now open. The state has laid out strict rules for each sector that is reopening. The rules were developed by Lamont's administration and his reopening committee.

Sixty percent of survey respondents said they planned to reopen on May 20 but nearly 27 percent indicated they would wait until public health experts say it is safe to do so.

"As a health care professional for many years I am concerned that if the virus is not done as in the normal flu season we may be in worse shape however people must work. The greatest concern of mine are with those who have not followed directions up until this point," one respondent said in the survey.

A bridal shop owner said "we absolutely need to reopen as we are a bridal shop. We need to get inventory to our brides and as we prepare we are taking all the necessary steps to stay safe with our staff and our clients. We will be wearing masks, face shields, we have a case of sanitizer, we will not allow more than one person with a bride (the rest will have to Zoom into the appointment) we will take an hour between brides to clean and sanitize - we will be wearing gloves - so there is a lot we can do to keep our clients safe."

Concerning Lamont's timeline for reopening 40 percent agree with it while 34 percent don't and 25 percent are unsure.

One person said, "I think Governor Lamont’s reasonable yet cautious approach to a staggered and safe timeline to reopen businesses is great and I support it with my small business."

Another respondent said, "Until there is better testing and treatment it’s too dangerous to reopen on 5/20."

A restaurant owner told Patch that "I question why it is safe to have people sit at a table outside as opposed to people sitting at a table inside being unsafe."

And another restaurant owner said they disagree with Lamont's handling of the "entire process and his communication with the Business Community, we also understand that we are in a higher risk state and that caution had to be taken."

"While the Outside Dining aspect of things helps us specifically more than others, it does harm a lot of restaurants that are struggling to make ends meet that don't have outside seating. Also, the Restaurant Industry in general has always been held to very specific standards and guidelines of cleanliness even before this Pandemic and should have been given the opportunity to put our training into practice," the restaurant owner told Patch in the survey.

The restaurant owner added that he personally lost $10,000 worth of food due to the abrupt closing of his restaurant and that more time should have been afforded to businesses before they were forced to close by the state back in March.

And while opinions are strong on the timeline and what businesses should reopen, overall business owners gave Lamont high marks for his handling of the pandemic. Sixty-percent of respondents said Lamont has done a good job overall while just over 20 percent were displeased with Lamont's leadership.

See also: CT Phase 2 And 3 Reopening: Here Is What Will Reopen And When

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