Businesses across Connecticut, from the sprawling Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort casinos to small, independently owned Pilates studios, were preparing to shut down or curtail their services Monday to comply with a new restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
Connecticut officials ordered movie theaters, gyms and other businesses closed until further notice, and bars and restaurants were limited to offering only takeout. New York and New Jersey are enacting similar measures.
On Monday evening, Gov. Ned Lamont and the two federally recognized tribes that own and operate Connecticut’s two casinos announced an historic move to close the facilities at 8 p.m. on Tuesday for two weeks. It will mark the first time either casino has ever closed. Foxwoods first opened in 1992 and Mohegan Sun opened in 1996.
“This is a humbling reflection on the ongoing public health crisis and it is the right decision,” said Rodney Butler, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation which own Foxwoods.
Both casinos, which have already begun temporarily shuttering parts of their operations, are located on sovereign tribal reservations and Lamont doesn’t have the power to order them closed.
For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death. The vast majority of people recover.
Public gatherings of more than 50 people have also been restricted in Connecticut, in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The prohibition also applies to religious, spiritual and worship gatherings. Lamont on Sunday ordered all public schools in the state to close beginning Tuesday.
Meanwhile, essential businesses such as supermarkets and gas stations will be able to stay open.
“We are in this together,” Lamont said during a conference call with the governors of New York and New Jersey. ”This is changing so fast. We’ve got to work together on a coordinated basis.”
The restrictions will be in effect through April 30.
Restaurant owners said they already have been taking action in response to the coronavirus, including increasing cleaning.
“Local restaurant owners will continue to offer safe, clean service to customers via takeout, curbside pickup and delivery,” said Scott Dolch, executive director of the Connecticut Restaurant Association.
The moves could threaten the cash flows for owners of commercial real estate. As the virus causes sweeping restrictions on everyday life for many Americans, famed investor Carl Icahn declared to CNBC he is shorting the commercial real estate bond market, saying the sector was poised to “blow up,” particularly the segments focused on malls and office parks.
Mary Badon, a licensed physician in Connecticut who owns SOMA Movement Studio in Unionville and West Hartford, said while she had taken extensive steps at her Pilates studios to keep her clients safe from COVID-19, she understands the need for Lamont’s order.
“If there’s going to be a blanket rule, I think this is the correct one,” she said.
“It’s an inconvenience. I mean, we’re definitely going to be affected by it, financially, ” she said of the shutdown, adding how her six instructors are contractors and will be out of work. Badon said she does have two employees who will continue to work behind the scenes. She plans to work on studio renovations and improvements to her company’s website during the downtime. Badon is also looking at ways that her instructors can keep teaching online.
Meanwhile, Badon said she’s been heartened by how many customers have told her they are willing to keep paying their membership fees or pay early for future lessons in order to help keep her in business.
