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June 16, 2020

A guide for CT's second phase reopening plan

Bowling alleys in Connecticut are slated to reopen Wednesday during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wednesday marks Connecticut’s biggest test yet as the state continues to gradually reopen commerce and lift COVID-19 restrictions on indoor dining, gyms, hotels, bowling alleys, nail salons, zoos, movie theaters and other businesses.

Sector-specific rules for reopening continue to require that businesses limit indoor and outdoor seating at 50% capacity, require face-coverings in public areas, and incorporate social distancing markers, signage, staggered shifts, and strict ventilation and sanitation protocols, among other state-mandated guidelines.

Gov. Ned Lamont’s phase 2 reopening plan, following the state’s phase one reopening on May 20, especially creates new hurdles for gyms, fitness centers and yoga studios that typically provide shared equipment in confined spaces.

According to new state guidelines, gyms and fitness centers that require customers to wear a mask while exercising must maintain six feet of space between equipment, while establishments that do not require face-coverings must maintain 12 feet of space.

Those facilities are also being required to temporarily close common areas, break rooms, check-in counters (unless touchless) or other areas where customers and employees may gather. Equipment and social distancing markers are also being required to limit interactions.

Many area chain gyms, including WOW Fitness and The Edge Fitness Club, say they are reopening Wednesday with a slew of new rules to safeguard customers.

At restaurants, mandates require employers to enforce capacity limits of 50%, implement staggered shifts and log when employees are on-premise to support contact tracing.

Beginning Wednesday, bar seating will be allowed if there are no working staff behind the bar or there is a physical barrier, such as Plexiglas, separating customers from the bar space. Parties must also be spaced at least six feet from others.

[Read more: CT restaurant leader says indoor dining a promising development]

Hotels and other lodging facilities are shouldering many of these guidelines at their restaurants, gyms and pools on-site.

With occupancy already limited at 50%, hotels are required to rearrange common areas and post social distancing markers to discourage large gatherings. Meeting and convention spaces are also limited to indoor social guidelines set by the state. Non-essential services such as valet and coat checks are temporarily discontinued.

Indoor recreation businesses including bowling alleys and movie theaters are required to remove all self-service items, such as self-service bowling balls, and have staff provide those items to customers directly. Reservations and contactless/digital ticketing are also being encouraged when possible.

Those venues are also being asked to ramp up cleaning of recreation areas and equipment. But if that's not possible in between customers' use, items such as bounce houses and golf putters should be set aside for 48 hours, rules show.

Click here for additional rules and recommendations for amusement parks, museums, zoos, and aquariums, libraries, outdoor events and personal services including nail salons and tattoo parlors reopening Wednesday.

Additional businesses will be reopening Wednesday even though the state will fall short of its goal to test 100,000 people for COVID-19 per week. That goal was previously one of the governor’s criteria for reopening.

Still, coronavirus-related hospitalizations continue to decline as the state reports positive cases and deaths every day.

As of Monday afternoon, the state has recorded 45,235 positive cases of COVID-19 and 4,204 COVID-19-related deaths. There are also 203 people currently hospitalized with the infectious disease in Connecticut.

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