Connecticut hit the “pause” button today on reopening bars later this month.
“I think the bars are going to have to take a pause right now,” Gov. Ned Lamont said at a press briefing at Hammonasset State Park Thursday morning. “I’m just looking around the rest of the country and I’m seeing it’s pretty infectious.”
Lamont added that “I’m just looking around the rest of the country, I see Texas, I see Florida, I see southern California all closing down bars and I’m learning from that.”
But that doesn’t mean he’s going to close down the indoor dining that opened on June 17.
New York and New Jersey decided this week not to reopen indoor dining.
“We’re going to keep our restaurants at 50% capacity indoors, but I urge you to go outdoors,” Lamont said. “Outdoors is much safer than indoors.”
Connecticut had been planning to open bars and indoor event spaces later this month under phase 3 of the state’s reopening strategy. Phase 3 is also slated to bring an opportunity to host events outdoors with 250 people.
“I was pretty happy driving around not seeing any Florida or Arizona plates,” Lamont quipped.