Processing Your Payment

Please do not leave this page until complete. This can take a few moments.

March 18, 2020

CT joins NY, NJ and PA in closing malls

Photo | Flickr/Mike Mozart A Nordstrom mall entrance.
By Mark Pazniokas, CT Mirror

The governors of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania jointly ordered the closure of shopping malls, bowling alleys and amusement parks Wednesday, the latest effort by governors to act regionally during the coronavirus pandemic. 

“This is a fast moving and quickly evolving public health emergency, and making these kinds of important decisions as a region makes more sense than a patchwork approach,” Gov. Ned Lamont said. “We will combat this virus by working together and remaining consistent across our borders and I’m proud to work with my fellow governors in this effort.”

The latest closure order takes effect at 8 p.m. Thursday and is the latest in a series of emergency measures that have brought commerce to halt as the COVID-19 coronavirus takes hold in the U.S.

The action Wednesday is an expansion of the orders the tri-state governors issued Monday. That order – which Pennsylvania has also adopted – limits crowd capacity for public  gatherings to 50 people. The governors previously ordered restaurants and bars to close for on premise service, while allowing take-out and delivery services. They also temporarily closed movie theaters, gyms, and casinos.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, who has clashed with President Donald J. Trump on Twitter, contrasted the regional effort with what he called a federal failure. All four governors acting jointly are Democrats.

“In the absence of national standards, we are doing everything we can as states to reduce density and contain the spread of the virus,” Cuomo said. “It is critical that we remain on the same page as our neighboring states, and so far we are the only region in the country partnering to create uniform, regional density reduction policies that prevent ‘state shopping.’ We will continue working together to update our regulations and guidance as the situation evolves while keeping a consistent standard across the region.”

“Given the population density of the Northeast, a coordinated response effort to encourage social distancing benefits all of our residents and strengthens our greater regional preparedness. By working together to identify and enact these measures, we can potentially slow the spread of coronavirus and save thousands of lives,” said Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey.

Joining the tri-state group is Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, who had been talking with New Jersey officials about a coordinated response on closings.

“Pennsylvania is working aggressively to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” Wolf said. “A regional approach to this threat is smart, and I am grateful for all of the work by my colleagues in neighboring states. Joining these leaders will help Pennsylvania mitigate the spread of COVID-19 with a coordinated approach.”

Lamont has now signed five executive orders under the authority of the public-health emergency declared a week ago, affecting a broad swath of state government and the private sector.

Connecticut State Police

The  State Police announced Wednesday they are closing their headquarters and regional troops to the public for non-emergency purposes.

At the headquarters in Middletown, the public will be allowed to enter in small numbers for the following services:

Fingerprinting for screened, long-term care providers.

  • Sex offenders who are required to register with the state.
  • Deadly weapon offenders who are required to register with the state.
  • The 11 State Police Troops located across Connecticut will be open only for walk-in concerns and emergencies. 

Judicial Department

Chief Court Administrator Patrick L. Carroll III announced further closures in the court system, a decision made with Chief Justice Richard Robinson. Only one courthouse will remain open in the state’s 13 judicial districts for priority cases, and juvenile matters will be restricted to the Hartford and Bridgeport juvenile courts.

“These are extraordinary times and require extraordinary measures,” Carroll said. ” Our overarching challenge throughout the crisis has been to balance the constitutional obligation of the courts to remain open with protecting the health and safety of every individual who enters a state courthouse.  Ultimately, we have determined that the plan announced today is the best option to achieve this balance.”

Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

DEEP has temporarily suspended enforcement actions against retailers for failing to accept empty beverage containers for redemption under  bottle bill.  During this time, if stores do not accept empty beverage containers, DEEP will not issue them a notice of violation. 

“Supermarkets and grocers are focused on keeping the shelves stocked for their customers during a time of increased demand, engaging in enhanced cleaning measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and may face worker shortages as they strive to keep their employees and their families safe much like other businesses and institutions during this challenging time,” DEEP said.

The department’s offices also are closed to the public, and the majority of its staff is working from home.

Access to DEEP’s records center at 79 Elm Street, Hartford is not available to the public, but certain records may be available for retrieval depending on staff availability. Requests for records should be sent to DEEP.RecordsCenter@ct.gov.

Sign up for Enews

Most Recent

Most Recent

0 Comments

Order a PDF