Reopening CT After Coronavirus Pandemic: Timeline Shifts To June

CONNECTICUT — It seems as if everything has been building toward May 20. That is the date everyone in Connecticut has been fixated on concerning the possible reopening, at least partially, of the state and its economy as the coronavirus pandemic subsides.

Gov. Ned Lamont ordered all schools and nonessential businesses closed until May 20 and on Thursday state officials revealed more information concerning when and how Connecticut may reopen its economy.

If you were hoping things would get back to "normal" on May 21, 22, etc., than here is some bad news for you.

Indra Nooyi, co-chair of the Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group, and Dr. Albert Ko, co-chair of the Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group, said the May 20 date is when they'll prepare a recommendation to Lamont on how and when the state may reopen. May 20 is not the date for when nonessential businesses and or schools will reopen, they said.

Nooyi revealed that the state likely won't reopen until "June in small steps." She said all scenarios are being studied including whether it makes sense to open parts of the state up regionally or by job. She said any reopening plan must "protect the vulnerable" while working to get the economy moving again.

"We'll study it all," Nooyi said, adding the initial reopening will be done in "small steps," and will likely be phased-in through the "end of the year."

"A big bang opening in June across CT looks unlikely," she said.

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She said a committee is spending the next two to three weeks studying every option and this takes time because of the "complex issues involving human life."

Lamont said he'll work to "thoughtfully open Connecticut." He said Connecticut still has a ways to go in terms of the death rate and number of positive cases trending down. The number of new hospital admissions has been trending lower for the past two weeks.

He said Fairfield and New Haven county's trend line on hospitalizations show the curve is flattening there and Hartford County, which had been ramping up recently, showed some positive signs Thursday concerning the number of new hospital admissions.

Lamont said while much of the focus lately is on reopening Connecticut, he did say the state didn't shut down nearly as much as neighboring states did. About 38 percent of businesses closed down but two-thirds remained open. Connecticut didn't close manufacturing businesses as some states did. It didn't close parks or beaches or shut down gardening or landscaping businesses as some governors did.

But Lamont said about 150,000 employees in the hospitality and service industries were displaced from their jobs due to the virus.

What will be needed before Connecticut can reopen

This part of the equation hasn't changed: Officials said Connecticut needs more testing, a defined contact tracing program and a lot more personal protective equipment before it can reopen.

Ko said "testing is number one." He said testing is the key to ensure that the most "vulnerable citizens are protected." He said testing will also be vital to ensure that a second surge of the coronavirus doesn't occur.

He said Connecticut needs to test everyone who is sick and who has symptoms, then health care and nursing home workers, and then people in big cities where the spread of the virus is most likely.

Ko also said Connecticut hopes to be able to soon adopt a saliva or spit test, which will greatly facilitate quicker testing.

See also: Updated Town-By-Town Number Of Positive Coronavirus Cases As Death Toll Remains High

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