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Reopen Connecticut Report Details Strategy, Procedures For Next Few Months

Pat Eaton-Robb
/
AP
Gov. Lamont gives a coronavirus briefing last week at Gay City State Park in Hebron, Conn.

Governor Ned Lamont’s Reopen Connecticut Report includes a roadmap for the state’s recovery from COVID-19. The report contains a 44-page PowerPoint presentation that calls for the wearing of face masks and the ramping up of testing to more than 200,000 a week by September 1.

Lamont says it’s based on recommendations from his volunteer Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group made up of local health, business, labor and education experts.  

“And it just gives you our overview of what our public health strategy is. Our current activity and procedures, especially as regards to our plans for testing, where we’ve been, where we are going. Track and trace. The economic impact and analysis which is so key. And finally the reopening criteria themselves.”

Some businesses, including restaurants, are concerned about the timeline for reopening. Scott Dolce with the Connecticut Restaurant Association says his members would like indoor dining to start on June 3 instead of June 20.

“We are looking at what Rhode Island is doing, and we are also keeping a keen eye on the casino conversation and what’s going on in Foxwoods and Mohegan, because you know there are restaurants in their venue as well.”

Rhode Island will permit indoor dining on June 1, the same day the Mashantucket Pequots and the Mohegans have announced they will open their tribal casinos.

Senate Republican Minority Leader Len Fasano criticizes the plan.

“I see all these fancy PowerPoints coming out.”

He alleges Boston Consulting, an out-of-state-firm, came up with the report, not Lamont’s advisory group.

“My understanding is when you look on the website that they take polls every two weeks, so are we doing policy legislation by polling?”

Fasano has written two letters to Lamont asking that the governor make public the details of his $2 million contract with the out-of-state firm. He has yet to receive a response.

Read the latest on WSHU’s coronavirus coverage here.

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As WSHU Public Radio’s award-winning senior political reporter, Ebong Udoma draws on his extensive tenure to delve deep into state politics during a major election year.
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