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Updated: March 16, 2020

Lamont orders CT bars, restaurants to close Monday night

Photo | Contributed A Bertucci’s restaurant.
By Joe Cooper

Gov. Ned Lamont on Monday ordered all Connecticut bars and restaurants to halt dine-in services by 8 p.m. in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus. Carryout and delivery sales, however, will be allowed.

Lamont announced the sweeping measure Monday morning as part of a regional agreement with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy that will also shutter movie theaters, gyms and commercial casinos at 8 p.m. on Monday. That does not include tribal casinos, including Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun, which cannot be shut down by the state.

Also effective Monday at 8 p.m., the states will be banning gatherings of 50 or people.

Connecticut, New York and New Jersey now join at least seven other states that have enacted orders banning dine-in service at bars and restaurants.

The announcement brings Connecticut’s $7.5 billion restaurant industry to a screeching halt just a day before St. Patrick’s Day, which is widely considered a busy day for restaurateurs.

According to the Connecticut Restaurant Association, there were 7,877 eating and drinking establishments in-state as of year-end 2017. The restaurant/bar industry at that time employed 154,100 foodservice jobs, representing 9% of the state’s workforce.

“We must do everything we can as a community to slow the spread of this virus so that we don’t overwhelm our healthcare system and we protect the most vulnerable," Lamont said in a statement. "Viruses do not know borders, which is why taking a regional approach on this issue is the best plan forward. A national approach to these measures would be the best option to slow and mitigate the spread of this virus.”

The restaurant ban also comes a day after Lamont ordered all public schools closed through the end of March in his latest attempt to slow the spread of the potentially fatal coronavirus. More than 30 other states -- including Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire -- have also ordered public schools to close amid the global pandemic.

Connecticut now has a total of 26 confirmed cases of coronavirus. That number, however, is likely much higher than testing has been limited, state officials say.

Nationally, thousands of American restaurants struggling to stay in business amid the nation's growing novel coronavirus pandemic have one less thing to worry about today, thanks to Grubhub.

Grubhub founder and CEO Matt Maloney announced Friday that his company is temporarily suspending the collection of up to $100 million in commission fees from local restaurants for whom it delivers across the nation as they deal with the coronavirus's economic onslaught.

Many Americans avoiding large crowds at the advice of local and national political leaders, as well as officials from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, have stopped eating out at restaurants.

Some of those restaurants have been forced to furlough staff members or temporarily close to stay afloat.

Grubhub provides delivery service to more than 350,000 restaurants throughout the United States, from local bistros to major chains such as McDonald's, Wendy's and Subway. The delivery service provider said locally-owned restaurants comprise more than 80% of its business.

This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.

Reports by CNN and CT Mirror contributed to this story

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