Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said next week he will lift the state’s restriction on the number of people who can gather at houses of worship.
Lamont had imposed the restriction on houses of worship under his emergency powers to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. He had limited them to 50% of the building’s capacity or a maximum of 100 people.
He said he’s now ending the cap because of legal challenges to similar restrictions across the U.S., including in New York.
“You probably know there’s some folks outspoken who feel it’s time to do that, and I think we are going to do that,” Lamont said.
Lamont said the risk of infection has been reduced because most residents 75 and older would have received at least their first shot of the coronavirus vaccine in the next couple of weeks.
”Much safer to go to church once you’ve been vaccinated, go to a house of worship, so err on the side of caution,” he said.
Republican legislative leaders had called on Lamont to eliminate the cap earlier in the week when they challenged his extension of his emergency powers until April.
The majority Democrats support Lamont’s extension of his emergency powers.
