HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Businesses across Connecticut, from the sprawling Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort casinos to small, independently owned Pilates studios, were preparing to shut down or curtail their services Monday to comply with a new restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
Connecticut officials ordered movie theaters, gyms and other businesses closed until further notice, and bars and restaurants were limited to offering only takeout. Nearby New York and New Jersey were enacting similar measures.
On Monday evening, Gov. Ned Lamont and the two federally recognized tribes that own and operate Connecticut’s two casinos announced an historic move to close the facilities at 8 p.m. on Tuesday for two weeks. It will mark the first time either casino has ever closed. Foxwoods first opened in 1992 and Mohegan Sun opened in 1996.
“This is a humbling reflection on the ongoing public health crisis and it is the right decision,” said Rodney Butler, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation which own Foxwoods. Both casinos, which have already begun temporarily shuttering parts of their operations, are located on sovereign tribal reservations and Lamont doesn’t have the power to order them closed.
For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death. The vast majority of people recover.
PUBLIC GATHERINGS
Public gatherings of more than 50 people have also been restricted in Connecticut, in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The prohibition also applies to religious, spiritual and worship gatherings. Lamont on Sunday ordered all public schools in the state to close beginning Tuesday.
Meanwhile, essential businesses such as supermarkets and gas stations will be able to stay open.
“We are in this together,” Lamont said during a conference call with the governors of New York and New Jersey. ”This is changing so fast. We’ve got to work together on a coordinated basis.”
The restrictions will be in effect through April 30.
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OFF-TRACK BETTING
Lamont’s latest order requires the state’s off-track betting facilities to close Monday night. The operator of 15 venues in the state, Sportech, announced Sunday it would voluntarily close its facilities at least until the end of the month, but said telephone betting and its online site will remain open.
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SMALL BUSINESSES
Mary Badon, a licensed physician in Connecticut who owns SOMA Movement Studio in Unionville and West Hartford, said while she had taken extensive steps at her Pilates studios to keep her clients safe from COVID-19, she understands the need for Lamont’s order.
“If there’s going to be a blanket rule, I think this is the correct one,” she said.
“It’s an inconvenience. I mean, we’re definitely going to be affected by it, financially, ” she said of the shutdown, adding how her six instructors are contractors and will be out of work. Badon said she does have two employees who will continue to work behind the scenes. She plans to work on studio renovations and improvements to her company’s website during the downtime. Badon is also looking at ways that her instructors can keep teaching online.
Meanwhile, Badon said she’s been heartened by how many customers have told her they are willing to keep paying their membership fees or pay early for future lessons in order to help keep her in business.
Restaurant owners said they already have been taking action in response to the coronavirus, including increasing cleaning.
“Local restaurant owners will continue to offer safe, clean service to customers via takeout, curbside pickup and delivery,” said Scott Dolch, executive director of the Connecticut Restaurant Association.
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CONCERN FOR PRISONERS
A coalition of groups is demanding that Connecticut officials immediately release as many state prisoners as possible to protect them from the outbreak and place a moratorium on further incarceration.
They said state officials can release pretrial prisoners detained only because they can’t afford to post bail, limit arrests to serious offenses and expedite parole for elderly prisoners and others who are at high risk of serious illness.
Max Reiss, a spokesman for Lamont, said the Department of Correction has taken prevention measures to protect the safety of staff and prisoners, and the governor has been in contact with the groups calling for more releases of prisoners.
“At this moment there are no plans to release currently incarcerated individuals,” Reiss said.
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UCONN SPORTS
The University of Connecticut has officially canceled all its remaining athletic events this year. The school last week had suspended spring sports with the hopes of resuming them after the remaining winter sports, including postseason tournaments for basketball and hockey, were called off. Monday’s move was expected.
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DRIVE-THROUGH TESTING
Seven hospitals across Connecticut have now been approved to conduct drive-through test sampling for COVID-19. They’re at various stages of setting up the service. Anyone seeking to be tested must have a prescription from their doctor and make an appointment in advance. The approved hospitals are located in Bridgeport, Bristol, Danbury, Greenwich, Stamford, Waterbury New Haven.
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STUDENT MEALS
State education officials said 89 school districts have now been approved to serve meals at more than 353 sites. Many Connecticut students rely on the public schools to provide them with two meals a day when school is in session. The eight sites in Hartford served 400 lunches on Monday and handed out 400 breakfast kits for Tuesday morning.
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Associated Press Writer Pat Eaton-Robb contributed to this report.
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The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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