Alerts

Tomorrow marks the beginning of Phase 2 of Reopen Connecticut which allows additional business sectors previously shuttered due to COVID-19 to reopen in accordance with guidance provided by Governor Lamont and the Department of Economic and Community Development (“DECD”). The business sectors that may reopen on June 17, 2020 are: hotels/lodging; all personal services; indoor recreation; sports, sports clubs, gyms, fitness centers, and pools; outdoor arts, entertainment and events; amusement parks; libraries; museums, zoos, and aquariums; and social clubs. Restaurants also are allowed to offer indoor dining under Phase 2.

As in Phase 1, businesses opening under Phase 2 are required to complete the DECD certification prior to reopening. Entities, like restaurants, that partially reopened under Phase 1, and completed the certification, are not required to recertify. Much of the Phase 2 guidance is the same as the Phase 1 guidance including the implementation of contact tracing logs, limitations on capacity, physical modifications to accommodate social distancing, closure of non-essential facilities, increased ventilation, posting of new policy signage, shift modifications to limit employee contact, additional cleaning requirements, and mandatory use of PPE for customers and employees. Businesses also are required to train their employees, on company time, on how to perform a daily health check, protocols on proper cleaning and disinfecting, and other rules associated with reopening. Businesses are not allowed to reopen unless they maintain sufficient PPE for all employees.

In addition, each sector reopening tomorrow must follow their specific sector guidance. Highlights of each sector and a link to the full guidance is found below:

• Use ongoing announcement systems as social distancing reminders.
• Allow guests to choose daily room cleaning or only upon checkout.
• Provide staff additional time to clean, without penalty.
• Allow for 24 hour passive decontamination for used guest rooms.

• Open with 25 table limit or 50% of regular indoor seating capacity.
• Allow bar seating only if there is no staff working behind the bar or a physical barrier separates staff from guests.
• Create separate means of ingress and egress.
• Close indoor waiting areas.

• Allow services by appointment only, in addition to limiting capacity to 50%.
• Do not offer services that require customers to remove face coverings.
• Clean and store tools after each use.
• Obtain 2 sets of tools so one may be soaking in disinfectant while the other set is in use.

• Require customers to only use one piece of equipment during session, i.e.: one bowling ball.
• Quarantine items for 48 hours that are unable to be disinfected.
• Require reservations, where possible.
• Use disposable or no touch pamphlets, pricing, menus, etc.

• Open fields/rinks/courts/pools with limitations of 50% of building capacity or 25 guests, whichever is smaller.
• Require that guests wipe down equipment after each use.
• Do not permit weightlifting that requires a spotter.
• Require that face coverings be worn in the facility unless using the pool or 12 feet apart from other guests.

• Schedule staggered ingress times to minimize lines.
• Allow performances without masks only if performers can maintain 12 foot distance from customers and other performers.
• Professional sporting events should seek DECD approval for events.
• Use digital ticketing, where possible.

• Allow outdoor parks to reopen at 25% capacity.
• Use maze style queues, marking waiting spots to be 10 feet apart from the next.
• Ensure customers only park in every other parking spot.
• Use online ticketing, where possible.

• Open with 50% capacity.
• Limit in-person services, such as reference assistance.
• Waive late fees and automatically extend due dates.
• Only allow use of every other computer at terminals.

• Require online ticketing, where possible.
• Use of timed entrance, where possible.
• Create one-way floor markings.
• Allow only ten people, including guide, for tours.

• Follows rules applicable to the club’s operation (pool/restaurant/etc).