EXPECTED TO BE ALL RIGHT AND NO
WORD ON WHAT SPARKED THE FIRE.
>>> NOW ON THE BIG MOVE ON THE
ROAD TO RECOVERY IN CONNECTICUT.
GOVERNOR LaMONT MARKING THE MAY
19th AS A RED LETTER DAY WHEN
COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS FOR
BUSINESSES WILL BE LIFTED SO
THAT MEANS NO CAPACITY LIMITS,
NO SOCIAL DISTANCING MANDATES,
NO MANDATES ON MASKS OUTDOORS.
IDA SIEGAL LIVE AND BUSINESS
OWNERS SING LIGHT AT THE END
OF THAT TUNNEL, IDA?
>> Reporter: YEAH, DAVID, THE
BUSINESS OWNERS I SPOKE WITH
TONIGHT ARE THRILLED BY THE NEWS
BUT THEY’RE ALSO A LITTLE
NERVOUS BECAUSE AT RESTAURANTS
LIKE THIS ONE BEHIND ME HERE,
THEY’RE NOT JUST
GOVERNOR’S ORDERS BUT THEIR
CUSTOMER’S COMFORT LEVEL AND
THAT IS STILL AN EX FACTOR.
DINING IN CONCTICUT COULD
START LOOKING A LOT DIFFERENT
NEXT MONTH.
THE GOVERNOR’S ANNOUNCEMENT
MEANS MORE TABLES, MORE
CUSTOMERS LATER AT NIGHT.
>> EXCITING NEWS THANKS TO THE
GOVERNOR.
>> Reporter: HE SAYS HE’S
HOPEFUL THINGS WILL START
PICKING UP AT HIS RESTAURANT
HARVEST BUT HE PLANS TO DEFER TO
THE CUSTOMER’S COMFORT LEVEL.
SOME OF WHOM ARE READY TO DIVE
RIGHT BACK IN.
>> I THINK IT’S GREAT NEWS.
I THINK LONG OVER DUE.
WE CAN’T WAIT TO HAVE LESS
RESTRICTIONS.
>> Reporter: THE NEW RULES WILL
COME IN TWO PHASES.
STARTING MAY 1st, THE RESTAURANT
CURFEW WILL EXTEND TO MIDNIGHT.
IF YOU SIT OUTSIDE WHOLE ONLY
AND NO LIMIT TO TABLE SIZE.
BY MAY 19th, ALL BUSINESS
RESTRICTIONS GO AWAY.
NO CURFEW AND NO MASKS REQUIRED
OUTSIDE AND IF YOU’VE BEEN FULLY
VACCINATED, NO MASKS REQUIRED
INDOORS, EITHER.
>> WHAT WE WANT TO DO ON MAY IS1
AND MAY 19th IS SUBJECT LOOKING
AT THE NUMBERS AND INFECTION
RATES IN PARTICULAR A
HOSPITALIZATIONS.
>> Reporter: AT GENERATIONS
BARBERSHOP THEY ARE LOOKING
FORWARD TO THE RULES GOING AWAY
BUT THE OWNER SAYS THE GOVERNOR
HAS TO DO MORE TO CONVINCE
PEOPLE IT’S SAFE OTHERWISE IT
WON’T MATTER IF THE RULES
CHANGE.
HIS CUSTOMERS MAY DEMAND TO KEEP
THEM IN PLACE.
>> IT’S GOING TO BE UP TO THE
CLIENT AND THAT’S GOING TO HAVE
A LOT TO DO WITH HOW WELL THE
MESSAGE GETS OUT.
>> Reporter: BACK AT HARVEST,
IT’S GOING TO BE BABY STEPS.
EMPLOYEES WILL STILL WEAR MASKS
AND THOSE PARTITIONS INDOORS ARE
STAYING PUT.
>> I THINK WE ARE GOING TO GO
AFTER THE CONSUMER, AFTER MY
CUSTOMERS AND SEE THEIR
REACTION.
>> Reporter: AND SOME CUSTOMERS
WE SPOKE WITH TONIGHT SAY THEY
FEEL MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE
SITTING OUTSIDE.
AGAIN, THE GOVERNOR SAID ALL OF
THESE RULES ARE SUBJECT TO
CHANGE DEPENDING ON THE
INFECTION RATE, WHICH RIGHT NOW,
IS STEADILY GOING DOWNWARD.
REPORTING LIVE, IDA SIEGAL, NEWS
4 NEW YORK.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE IN
CONNECTICUT.
AT THE SAME TIME, NEW YORK
EASING MORE CAPACITY
RESTRICTIONS STARTING NEXT
MONDAY, MUSEUMS AND ZOOS CAN
OPEN AT 50% CAPACITY AND MOVIE
THEATERS UP TO 33% AND INDOOR
ARENAS CAN HOLD %.
THAT CHANGE WILL START MAY 19th
AND AT THAT TIME JUST IN TIME
FOR THE NBA PLAYOFFS.
>>> NOW IN NEW JERSEY AND ALL
ACROSS THE NATION, ANYONE OVER
THE AGE OF 16 CAN MAKE AN
APPOINTMENT TO GET THE COVID
VACCINE.
THE STATE JUST EXPAND
ELIGIBILITY TODAY.
THAT OPENS UP APPOINTMENTS FOR
TEENAGERS AND ADULTS NOT IN ANY
OF THE OTHER PRIORITY GROUPS.
AMONG THOSE GETTING THE SHOT WAS
MAYOR WHO LOST HIS BROTHER TO
COVID-19 ONCE YEARE YEAR AGO THI
THE MAYOR IS ENCOURAGING OTHERS
TO GET THE VACCINE EVEN IF THEY
DON’T THINK THEY’RE AT RISK.
>> I’VE HAD ANTIBODIES SO I FELT
RELIEVED AFTER I KNOWN I HAD THE
ANTIBODIES BUT TODAY IS LIKE A
BOOSTER FOR LACK OF A BETTER
WORD.
IT’S THE ONLY WAY TO GET THROUGH
THIS AND EVERYBODY SHOULD
VACCINATE AS QUICKLY AS
POSSIBLE.
>> AS ELIGIBILITY EXPANDS, ONLY
THE PFIZER VACCINE IS AUTHORIZED