Reopening far from over; second phase starts in June
Connecticut began reopening its economy on Wednesday, after coronavirus-related restrictions kept nonessential businesses closed for about two months.
But even though retail stores and outdoor dining areas were allowed to reopen Wednesday, the reopening process is far from over. Wednesday marked only the first phase of reopening, and there are still three more phases to go before the state is fully reopened.
Now that the first phase is underway, here’s what to expect as the state moves toward phase two.
When will phase two start? Gov. Ned Lamont has said that the second phase of reopening will begin around June 20. That date is tentative and subject to change, but Lamont has repeatedly cited it as a goal.
What will be allowed to reopen? In the second phase, a range of businesses will be allowed to reopen, including hotels, libraries, gyms and sports clubs. A number of entertainment and recreation facilities will be allowed to reopen, too, including bowling alleys, movie theaters, pools, museums, zoos and aquariums.
All of the businesses that were allowed to open as part of phase one will be allowed to remain open through phase two and beyond. That includes retail stores, malls, outdoor dining areas, outdoor recreational areas and offices that are able to appropriately space their employees.
What about indoor dining? Restaurants will be allowed to open indoor dining on June 20, in addition to the outdoor dining areas allowed to open in phase one. But bars, including outdoor and hotel bars, will have to remain closed throughout phase two.
Will there be concerts? Outdoor entertainment (capped at 50 people) and outdoor amusement parks will be allowed in phase two. Indoor venues will remain closed.
What will still be closed? Even in the second phase of reopening, restaurants won’t be allowed to open up their bar areas. Indoor events will also still be banned, as well as outdoor events with more than 50 people. Those categories are likely to be reopened in the third phase.
Will hair salons and barbershops open soon? Hair salons and barbershops were initially slated to reopen in the first phase, on May 20. But after hearing safety concerns from business owners, Lamont delayed that reopening until June 1.
What’s planned for schools and colleges? Lamont has already announced that the state’s schools, including its colleges, will be closed for the remainder of the current school year.
Under his reopening plan, some school-related summer programs — including public libraries, summer day camps, summer school and some youth sports — will be allowed to open in late June or early July.
And as for next year, Lamont said Wednesday that boarding schools and undergraduate residential programs will be allowed to reopen in the fall. He hasn’t yet made an announcement on whether K-12 schools will be allowed to reopen in the fall.
How is the state preparing? On Wednesday, Lamont outlined a series of criteria that the state has to meet before it can enter the second phase of reopening. The list is essentially an intensified version of the criteria that Lamont set for the first phase of reopening.
Among the criteria for the second phase is that the state must see increased testing, sufficient hospital capacity and declining virus transmission.
What if there’s a resurgence of cases? Medical experts say there’s a chance that reopening the state could cause a spike in coronavirus cases.
But Dr. Albert Ko, an epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health and the co-chair of the Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group, said that the state may consider reimposing some restrictions if it feels the coronavirus is getting out of control.
If that happened, the timeline of the reopening plan would have to be reworked.
When happens after phase two? Lamont has not announced an exact date of when he expects the state to move from phase two to phase three of the reopening plan. He has said, however, that he expects the third phase to begin at least four weeks after the second phase. Assuming the second phase begins June 20, that would mean the third phase could start on July 18 at the earliest.
Lamont has not announced any details of the fourth — and final — phase of the reopening plan.