Party On? CT Provides New Guidance For Events, Businesses

CONNECTICUT — As Connecticut sheds more coronavirus restrictions faster than was planned even a week ago, the state Department of Public Health released new recommendations for business owners and event operators looking to navigate the latest "new normal."

State health officials suggested that businesses require employees wear masks if they are unvaccinated or if their vaccination status is unknown, and they cannot maintain continuous separation from customers or co-workers. The health department urged businesses to adopt the cleaning, disinfection and ventilation guidelines laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The health department also asked businesses to consider requiring masks for attendees at large indoor or outdoor events or private gatherings if the space is not designed for continuous social distancing, or where there is likely to be a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated attendees. That guidance also includes children under 12, as the use of vaccines on children in that age group has not yet been sanctioned by the Food and Drug Administration.

Businesses should consider redesigning their spaces to make it easy for customers to practice social distancing, and post signage indicating that unvaccinated customers are required to wear a mask, according to the health department.

Finally, the state is urging businesses to plan for reduced capacity if a large outdoor event must be moved indoors due to a likelihood that unvaccinated people and children under 12 will be in attendance. Businesses should make these arrangements even if it means denying entry to valid ticket holders.

"There is a continuous risk that businesses and large events could be a source of significant COVID-19 outbreaks in situations where universal masking in not n use, many people remain unvaccinated, and appropriate spacing between customers, attendees and staff cannot be maintained," according to the new guidance from the health department.