Connecticut limits gatherings to 10 people amid COVID-19 rise

Connecticut will limit gatherings to a maximum of 10 people amid spikes in COVID-19 cases, Gov. Ned Lamont (D) announced Thursday.

The state Department of Public Health also issued an advisory late Thursday recommending residents stay at home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., The Connecticut Mirror reported.

The advisory does not apply to essential workers, emergency reasons such as health care, or to purchase food.

Lamont’s calls to limit gatherings comes as Americans prepare to enter the holiday seasons amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The governor cautioned indoor gatherings in homes are potential settings for virus clusters.

“It’s those informal, private gatherings where we’re seeing the ignition taking off in terms of the infection rate,” Lamont said.

Small gatherings have been blamed for the rise in COVID-19 throughout the Constitution State, and the limit on groups will apply to indoor and outdoor congregations.

“I’ve got to count on your self-monitoring this as well as you can. Thanksgiving dinner: 10. That dinner party: 10. And we’re recommending that people be home by 10 o’clock at night.”

The state will also move to impose limitations on restaurants and venues.

Starting on Friday, restaurants must reduce their capacity from 75 percent to 50 percent and close their dining rooms by 10 p.m. Only eight people maximum can sit at a restaurant table at one time.

Venues will limit their capacity to 25 people indoors and 50 people at outdoor locations.

Churches will also be subjected to the measures, with the government allowing no more than 50 percent capacity or 100 people at a time.

The state’s COVID-19 positivity rate dropped slightly on Thursday, to 3.7 percent, down from 4.2 percent a day before.

Connecticut has reported 77,060 COVID-19 infections since the outset of the pandemic. Eleven new deaths were reported this week, raising the total number of fatalities to 4,656.

Hospitalization rates have grown from 68 beds on Sept. 20 to 329 on Oct. 29, marking a 483 percent increase, the health department said.