New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Easing of restrictions a mixed bag of emotions
A return to normalcy as the state eases pandemic restrictions isn’t being greeted with the widespread excitement one may have expected.
“I was shocked,” Rabbi Brian Immerman of Congregation Mishkan Israel said Friday. “I think it’s too early and it is irresponsible to be doing this. I’m hopeful that in a few months we will be in a very different place, but for now, case numbers are still very high.”
Gov. Ned Lamont announced Thursday he was eliminating many crowd gathering and capacity restrictions effective March 19, with more to come in mid April. In the first wave, that means restaurants, retail locations, personal service businesses, bowling alleys, museums, houses of worship, aquariums and zoos will be able to operate at full capacity.
But reaction to Lamont’s decision was mixed at best from those who spoke with the New Haven Register Friday.
In New Haven, Mike Caroleo was rejoicing at the news.
Caroleo is pastor and director of the 180 Center, a church and walk-in center for the homeless and those living on the street.
“I’m excited,” he said. “It will be a blessing to have people able to do that again. I believe that body contact is important, but even having people be able to just be in person is better than having to be on a computer.”
Todd Turcotte’s response was somewhere in between the reactions of Immerman and Caroleo. Turcotte owns the Highland Bowl Cheshire on Route 10 and he said the removal of the crowd restrictions “is really going to mean very little to us” at the bowling alley.
“It will help with (booking) birthday parties and small events, but people still aren’t going to want to be next to people when it comes walk-ins for bowling,” he said. “It’s early for people to feel comfortable. In terms of how we operate going forward, it’s all going to be based on how people feel, what their comfort level is.”
Turcotte was in the midst of remodeling his business when COVID-19 hit last March. Among the improvements he made was adding touchless sinks and paper towel dispensers.
That would benefit his business later, but from March until June 17 of last year, there were no duckpins falling at Highland Bowl.
“When we reopened, open bowling was very slow, but as the pandemic progressed people were more comfortable with the rules that were in place. Being comfortable goes a long way and, going forward, I think every business is going to base its decisions on that.”
Some of the state’s pandemic restrictions will remain in place.
Even with the crowd restrictions being lifted for restaurants, for example, they still will have an 11 p.m. curfew. Bars will remain closed. Indoor theaters still will be limited to operating at 50 percent capacity. Mask and social distancing requirements also will remain in place.
Come April, however, outdoor amusement parks can reopen and outdoor event venues, such as concert amphitheaters, can reopen at 50 percent capacity, with crowds capped at 10,000.
Indoor stadiums can operate at 10 percent capacity starting April 2. And summer camps and seasonal festivals will be advised to start planning stages at that time for opening for the season.
Even with the wide lifting of restrictions for places of worship later this month, Immerman said Mishkan Israel officials have no immediate plans to reopen full indoor services.
“We have a reopening task force to guide our decisions that includes doctors and lawyers and we will be meeting on Tuesday to think about what will happen over the next few months,” he said. “We are guided by the Jewish value of keeping everybody safe and saving a life.”
Immerman said temple officials still are working out the details of what he called “a hybrid service” that will be held outdoors. Scheduled for April 2, he said the service will be held on patio outside the Ridge Road temple.
“We’re looking at how many people we can safely accommodate,” Immerman said.
Caroleo said he is looking forward to resuming Community Care Days at the 180 Center.
“We usually have 300 or more of the people we serve come out twice a year for haircuts, a barbecue, to get brand-new underwear and T-shirts as well as a variety of services,” Caroleo said. “Last year, we had to cancel those events.”