Reducing unemployment and making up lost revenue are key factors that Governor Ned Lamont should consider when it comes to which businesses should be reopened first in Connecticut. That’s according to members of his Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group.
David Lehman, the state’s commissioner for the Department of Economic and Community Development, explained the committee's rationale for opening outdoor service at restaurants, while keeping indoor movie theaters closed.
“When you talk about a significant amount of people in a space, particularly an indoor space, the epidemiologist and virologist on the committee, they are very concerned about potential transmission in hot spots.”
The Connecticut Restaurant Association says they should be allowed indoor service by early June. They say restaurants would be able to maintain the required social distancing and bring back more workers.
The largest number of the state’s unemployment claims came from restaurant workers. Governor Lamont says he might consider allowing indoor service by June 20.
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