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More than 500 restauranteurs in Connecticut are pushing for Gov. Ned Lamont to ease up restrictions on restaurants to allow indoor dining amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
At least 550 restaurants signed off on a letter to the governor urging him to permit indoor dining as soon as Wednesday, June 10. The date would mark three weeks after outdoor dining began and nearly 90 days since restaurants were forced to shut down due to the virus.
The letter from the Connecticut Restaurant Association cited several longtime restaurants that have been forced to permanently close their doors due to the shutdown and COVID-19 outbreak.
"Without this earlier date, it is clear that more restaurants can and will fail in the intervening days. This is not hyperbole," the letter says. “Right now, every day counts for our industry. Opening indoor service before (Saturday, June 20) will mean the difference for other restaurants, for their employees, and for our economy.”
The restaurants signing on to the petition pointed to what they allege is a track record throughout the pandemic of providing safe service, as well as the state’s strong metrics in regards to the virus, noting that some nearby states have begun reopening indoor service.
“As our Governor, you have an opportunity to do what is right for our industry and help put us on a better path towards recovery,” they wrote. “Neighboring Rhode Island has already opened its doors for indoor service. In addition, our COVID-19 metrics are substantially better than our neighbors in New York and Massachusetts.”
According to reports, Lamont is considering options when it comes to permitting indoor dining with certain restrictions in place.
“For these reasons, we implore the state to set a realistic date that would be one week from today. It will give all of our restaurants a chance to prepare to open their dining rooms to the people of Connecticut,” the restauranteurs added. “Every day counts.”
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