U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut says it’ll take regular testing and tracing — and maybe a vaccine — to make people feel safe enough to start spending tourist dollars in Connecticut again.
Blumenthal spoke to a group of Connecticut tourism officials and business owners.
“I’ll be very blunt – some of you are just hanging by a thread. You have poured your lives into these small businesses and cultural and historic institutions, and now they are literally existentially threatened in this crisis.”
Most arts and culture organizations in Connecticut are still closed. Tourism officials say some will be allowed to open in the state’s second phase of reopening, but may not be able to due to budgetary limits.
A bill in the U.S. House of Representatives would extend dates for applying for the Paycheck Protection Program loan, and would eliminate requirements on how funds can be spent. Tourism officials told Blumenthal this would help the state’s cultural institutions survive.
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