Last night, Governor Lamont issued Executive Order 7PP which, for the most part, confirms what many of us have been expecting for the last week or so.   As I’ve said before, the first round of reopening businesses remains on track for tomorrow (May 20th) but there have been more tweaks over the last day or so.

Here’s what you need to know:

  • Essential businesses will still need to follow the “Safe Workplace Rules for Essential Employers“; those rules will remain in effect even after other businesses return tomorrow. This clarifies a point of confusion that was raised with the new Sector Rules for offices and whether the new rules would apply to Essential Businesses. The EO says “no, they do not.”
  • Hair salons and barbers will not be opening tomorrow; a new date will be established soon — likely two more weeks or so.
  • The EO makes formal that the Sector Rules that have been previously released will apply to outdoor dining at restaurants, offices, non-essential retail stores and malls, and outdoor museums and zoos.
  • The EO allows for the DECD to release new “Sector Rules for General Business” that will allow some reopening of outdoor recreation and other businsesses.   Those rules will be released later this morning here.  (NOTE: They are now available here: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DECD/Covid_Business_Recovery/general-reopen-051920.pdf?la=en)
  • For restaurants that do open, the EO clarifies that seating at restaurants are limited to no more than 5 people in any table.  They do not need to be in the same household.
  • The Executive Order also specifes indoor gyms, fitness centers, or other studios offering “in-person fitness, sporting or cretational opportunities or instructions”, Off-Track Betting Facilities, and movie theaters remain closed through June 20, 2020.
  • Overnight camps are essentially prohibited from operating for the foreseeable future. This has been previously discussed informally before but the EO makes this clear.  Day camps will be allowed to operate after June 22, 2020 with strict rules to be released soon.
  • Summer school at public schoools will not be allowed to begin operations until July 6, 2020.  Private schools are encouraged to follow the same schedule as above.

As I said yesterday, businesses that are planning to reopen should do so carefully and cautiously. The rules in this area continue to change and employers need to be following them all to reopen safely.