In Connecticut, new restrictions in effect due to Covid-19

With COVID-19 rapidly spreading statewide during the “second wave” of the virus, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont is putting certain restrictions back in place.

Lamont announced that the state would be reducing the max occupancy at gyms and fitness centers, with both employees and gym-goers being required to wear a facial cover during workouts.

Previously, those working out at gyms were permitted to lower their masks provided they were at least 12 feet away from others in the facility.

The new mandate also applies to fitness centers, classes, yoga, and martial arts sessions. Dance studios must limit their occupancy to no more than 25 percent of max capacity.

Statewide, the positivity rate in Connecticut has been climbing to around 6 percent after seeing weeks hovering at around 1 percent during the summer.

There are currently 848 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, and there have been 4,828 virus-related deaths reported.

“We’re going to be looking at gyms, looking at indoor dining,” Lamont said last week when Connecticut and nearby states saw a rise in new COVID-19 cases. “We’ll be looking at churches if we have to going forward, those areas where you maybe have a little more likelihood of spread as opposed to retail and the workplace.”

Connecticut surpassed 3 million total coronavirus test results reported as the state ramps up its testing efforts; the state reported more than 200,000 results in the past week. It took Connecticut from March until mid-August to hit its first million coronavirus tests and only one month to get from 2 million to 3 million tests.