No one may eat inside New Canaan food service establishments as of Monday due to the COVID-19 virus, officials say, and The Playhouse movie theater, commercial gyms, and the playgrounds at town parks also are closed. Nail and hair salons may continue to operate by appointment and restaurants may continue to offer curbside pickup and delivery, Emergency Management Director Mike Handler said in a town-wide voice call and email.
“[O]ur parks will remain open and we encourage their use provided people are not gathering in groups,” Handler said in the message. “These actions will remain in effect until further notice and as we gain greater visibility, we will certainly advise everyone. Clearly, these actions are being taken because we are serious about discouraging mass social contact.”
He added, “On a separate note, we are aware that there are many rumors circulating that involve specific businesses and individuals. Please remember that this type of behavior, while commonplace, is distracting to our team and destructive to our community. We trust we can count on everyone to be sensitive and compassionate in this time of stress.”
It wasn’t immediately clear what Handler was referring to.
The prohibition from “all in-restaurant and outside service” came “by order of the Director of Health,” Handler said. His message came two days after town leaders declared a local state of emergency, with police and other municipal officials urging residents to limit interactions in order to slow the spread of COVID-19 virus in New Canaan. What locals do over the several days “will have a massive impact on the local and perhaps national trajectory of this pandemic,” Handler said in a Saturday message.
“When we say people should not be gathering in groups, we are referring to adults and children, both out in town and in private homes,” he said.
