Capacity Increases, Fishing Season Opens, Virtual Hearings, and Additional Information

Capacity Limit Increases

Beginning Friday, March 19, all capacity limits will be eliminated for the following businesses, while face coverings, social distancing, and other cleaning and disinfecting protocols will continue to be required:

• Restaurants (8-person table capacity and 11PM required closing time for dining rooms continues)
• Retail
• Libraries
• Personal services
• Indoor recreation (excludes theaters, which will continue to have a 50% capacity)
• Gyms/fitness centers
• Museums, aquariums, and zoos
• Offices
• Houses of worship

Gathering sizes will be revised to the following amounts:

• Social and recreational gatherings at private residence – 25 indoors/100 outdoors
• Social and recreational gatherings at commercial venues – 100 indoors/200 outdoors

All sports will be allowed to practice and compete, and all sports tournaments will be allowed, subject to Department of Public Health guidance.

For more information on these updates and others scheduled for the end of March and early April, click here.

Fishing Season Now Open

Yesterday, Governor Lamont signed Executive Order 10B to remove the prohibitions on fishing for trout on all inland waters in Connecticut, and opening additional lakes, ponds, as well as rivers and streams statewide.

For more information, click here.

To view the stocking report, click here.

To purchase a license, click the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s website here.

Public Hearing Monday to Discuss Virtual Learning 

Earlier this year, my colleagues and I voiced our intentions to push legislation forward that provides clear and concise remote guidelines for our schools and our students.

On Monday, the Education Committee will hold a public hearing to discuss S.B. 977, An Act Concerning Virtual Learning.

This bill is an important step toward requiring the Connecticut State Department of Education develop uniform standards for the provision of virtual learning in public schools. Additionally, it would require CSDE to conduct a comprehensive audit of the virtual learning programs in the state and develop guidelines for training educators in the provisions of virtual learning.

To register click here. Registration will close on Sunday, March 7, 2021, at 3:00 P.M.

If you do not have internet access, you may provide testimony via telephone. To register to testify by phone, call the Phone Registrant Line at (860) 240-0420 to leave your contact information. Please email written testimony to edtestimony@cga.ct.gov in Word or PDF format.

You can also watch the public hearing via the committee’s YouTube page here.

Or by clicking the ct-n website found here.

Scheduled Upcoming Closure and Detour of Route 154 in Old Saybrook for Bridge Replacement

The Connecticut Department of Transportation is announcing the scheduled closure and detour of Route 154 in Old Saybrook from March 8th to May 31st. This closure is required to facilitate construction activities to replace the bridge carrying Route 154 over Plum Bank Creek.

Detour Information

Access to the south side of the bridge from the north:

• Continue North of the bridge on Route 154 for 1.1 miles. Turn right onto Old Boston Post Road and travel for 0.7 miles to Main Street. Turn right onto Main Street and travel for 0.5 miles to Maple Avenue. Turn right onto Maple Avenue and continue for 1.3 miles until Route 154 is reached. Turn right onto Route 154 and follow for 0.9 miles bringing traffic to the North side of the structure.

Access to the north side of the bridge from the south:

• Continue South of the bridge on Route 154 for 0.9 miles. Turn left onto Maple Avenue and continue 1.3 miles. Turn left onto Main Street and continue 0.5 miles. Turn left onto Old Boston Post Road and continue for 0.7 miles. Turn left again onto Route 154 and follow for 1.1 miles bringing traffic to the North side of the structure.