Coronavirus Madison: Teens Warned To Follow Social Distance Order

MADISON, CT — A number of residents have noted on social media that groups of young people, most notably teenagers, have been seen gathered in groups that far exceed five people with most not practicing the six-feet rule of safe social distancing.

Last month, Gov. Ned Lamont issued an executive order that prohibits groups of more than five to gather and requires the six foot distance among those small groups.

Madison Police created a video about the practice. And First Selectwoman Peggy Lyons addressed the issue in a recent update.

In all cases, young people are named as being seen as violating the rules in public.

"We will be implementing other local policies to ensure community education and compliance, especially for those young people flagrantly violating the law," Lyons wrote.

Lyons said noting Lamont's March 26 order to "help mitigate the number of positive cases...(that) this isn’t a recommendation, it is a mandate from the Governor, and applies to all Madison residents no matter what age."

Lyons, and police said that officers will be "stepping up enforcement of this order, especially at high traffic locations like the beaches."

At various locations in town, there's new signage that lets people know that violators face a fine. And, that signage urges teens to respect the order so as to keep people safe.

Editor's note: Having raised teenagers, this reporter understands how very difficult this extreme measure is to follow for kids, and how hard it would be to enforce this as parents. So, please share in the comments below if you're having trouble keeping your kids at home, and for those having success, please share how you're managing that.