Lamont To Expand Private Gatherings At Social Venues

CONNECTICUT — Gov. Ned Lamont gave some guidance on the upcoming wedding and spring event season as the state continues to see good trends in its battle against the coronavirus.

Private gatherings at commercial venues will be expanded to 50 percent capacity with a maximum headcount of 100 people for indoor events. Outdoor events will be capped at 200 people. The new rules go into effect March 19 and are contingent on coronavirus infection rates staying stable or trending downward from now, Lamont said.

"Event planners tell us you need time to plan, so that's why we are giving you a month to plan this," he said.

Connecticut currently has a cap of 25 people indoors and 50 people outdoors for private gatherings at commercial venues.

Lamont also announced that he would provide guidance on attendance for sport events, so parents can see their children play. That guidance should come Thursday.

There is still some concern about the highly contagious U.K. and South African coronavirus variants picking up steam in the state, but Lamont remained confident Connecticut could stay ahead of them.

"I think we're putting up, not sure I could say firewall, but certainly some things to keep us ahead of what the U.K. variant could be," Lamont said. "I think the vaccines work pretty well against the U.K. variant so I think we're moving cautiously, but moving towards reopening."

The Connecticut Restaurant Association applauded Lamont’s decision.

“This new timetable for reopening will give confidence to our customers and guests who need to plan months in advance for their special events,” Executive Director Scott Dolch said. “We’re thankful the Governor understood that dynamic, and that his administration took action. We look forward to being part of Connecticut’s post-COVID recovery in the months and years ahead.”

Connecticut’s coronavirus situation has seen vast improvement over the past month, though it’s coming down from a high place. The state averaged 36.1 daily coronavirus cases per 100,000 population between Jan. 24 and Feb. 6 — the rate is nearly half of the high point of 68.5 daily infections between Dec. 27 and Jan. 9.

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Connecticut’s hospitals are less burdened by coronavirus patients too. There were 606 patients currently hospitalized Tuesday — less than half of the second wave peak of 1,254 that occurred Dec. 14. The net number of coronavirus patients in hospitals is near mid-November levels.

Massachusetts recently relaxed some of its coronavirus restrictions. Gov. Charlie Baker expanded restaurant and close contact personal service business capacity to 40 percent from 25 percent on Feb. 8. He also relaxed the state’s restaurant and entertainment curfew in late January. Connecticut has operated at 50 percent indoor restaurant capacity since early November and personal services such as hair salons are allowed to be open up to 75 percent capacity as long as they have space to accommodate social distancing.

Lamont’s most recent restriction loosening came in early February when he changed gathering size limits for churches and pushed back the restaurant closing curfew.

The last widespread tightening of restrictions came in early November when the state moved to phase 2.1. The restrictions came about a month after Lamont moved the state to phase 3 in early October, which increased indoor dining capacity and event venue capacity.