'Exploding Numbers': Danbury Moves To Curb Coronavirus Spread

DANBURY, CT — Residents will no longer be allowed inside City Hall in order to help curb the spread of the coronavirus and protect the health of city employees.

"We have exploding numbers," Mayor Mark Boughton said Monday. "That's why we have taken steps here at City Hall to reduce the amount of interaction with our staff."

Residents now need to call in advance if they have business with any city employee in the building.

Boughton reported 40 more cases overnight, as well as one more COVID-associated death in Danbury.

The mayor said the Danbury Police Department would be out in large numbers on both the night before Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving itself to enforce restrictions against large gatherings. Through the city's website the Mayor's Office has received more than 60 complaints about local businesses that are not enforcing coronavirus regulations, he said, and the Danbury PD will be investigating each of them.

Boughton said his office was reaching out to faith-based and community leaders to assist in spreading the message about restrictions on large gatherings over the holiday.

Statewide, Gov. Ned Lamont said he is looking at tightening some of those restrictions.

"We're going to be looking at gyms, looking at indoor dining, we'll be looking at churches if we have to going forward, those areas where you maybe have a little more likelihood of spread as opposed to retail and the workplace," Lamont said Monday.

Connecticut reported another 98 coronavirus hospitalizations over the weekend, up to a total of 757 currently hospitalized.