HARTFORD, CT (1010 WINS) -- Connecticut has moved into the third phase of its reopening, but the state will allow towns with high infection rates to remain in Phase 2 if they choose to do so, Gov. Ned Lamont said Thursday.
Phase 3, which kicked off on Thursday, includes the following changes, Lamont said at a news briefing Thursday afternoon:
• Restaurants, personal service businesses, hair salons, barbershops and libraries can increase their capacities from 50% to 75% indoors
• Outdoor event venues (including amphitheaters and race tracks) can increase their capacities from 25% to 50%
• Indoor performing arts venues can open at 50% capacity
• Bars and nightclubs must remain closed
"We're increasing capacity for a lot of indoor events," Lamont said. "The reason we're doing that is in part because we have a low infection rate, in part because it's colder weather, and things are moving indoors."
Four towns, however — Windham, Preston, Norwich and New London — may want to remain in Phase 2, as they are currently at "much higher risk" for COVID-19 spread due to their higher-than-average infection rates, he said.
The Connecticut Department of Public Health issued a COVID-19 alert for New London earlier in the day on Thursday, citing 115 new cases reported between Sept. 20 and Oct. 30. The department issued an alert for Norwich last week.
"I think we're thinking about this on a town-by-town basis and perhaps giving those towns some discretion not to move to Phase 3, to stay at Phase 2," Lamont explained.
The governor on Thursday reported five new COVID-19 deaths, bringing the state's death toll to 4,527.
Of the 27,203 COVID-19 test results that came back on Wednesday, 384, or 1.4 percent, were positive, he said.
As of Wednesday, 128 people in the state were hospitalized with COVID-19, down by 10 from Tuesday.
