By Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, Keelan Lyons, and Keith M. Phaneuf
A day after he closed all Connecticut schools, Gov. Ned Lamont today joined the governors of New York and New Jersey and ordered the closure of all restaurants, bars, and gyms in a regional attempt to slow the spread of the potentially fatal coronavirus.
The governors also announced a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people.
The three-state mandate was announced during a media conference call with Lamont, N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy. The indefinite ban will take effect at 8 p.m. tonight. Restaurants and bars can continue food delivery and takeout, but will not be able to serve food on the premises.
Massachusetts closed all bars and restaurants to on-premise business on Sunday.
“This is changing so fast we’ve got to work together on a coordinated basis,” Lamont said during the morning call. “This is a virus that knows no borders.”
Connecticut now has a total of 26 confirmed cases: six more since Sunday, though that number is likely much higher since testing has been limited.
According to the governor’s office, the six new cases break down as follows: Fairfield county has one new case; Hartford county has two new cases; Litchfield county has one new case; and New Haven county has two new cases.
