With the state’s COVID-19 positivity rate continuing to cruise well above four percent on a rolling average, and its case load topping 77,000, Governor Ned Lamont has tweaked his rollback guidelines — referred to as Phase 2.1 — reducing maximum group and gathering sizes inside and out to just 10 people.

New information and guidelines for some statewide sporting activities have been released as well.

During a late press briefing Thursday, November 5, Acting Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health Dr Deidre Gifford reiterated her call from earlier in the week for state residents stay at home between 10 pm and 5 am to help reduce virus transmission opportunities.

She also urged residents to practice distancing and to wear masks indoors, even inside private homes, a recommendation that was made by Newtown Health District Director Donna Culbert a week earlier.

The advisory does not apply to essential workers or to anyone who must leave home for urgent medical care or to purchase food.

Specifically, the Public Health Advisory recommends but does not mandate that:

1. Those over age 60, and anyone with a chronic disease or obesity who are at higher risk for complications of COVID-19 take extra precautions and limit non-essential trips outside your home;

2. Employers allow work-from-home as much as possible;

3. Non-essential social or community gatherings of any size for any reason (e.g., parties, community meetings, celebrations or other social events) end by 9:30 pm or otherwise be canceled or postponed at this time;

4. Everyone maintain at least a six foot distance from those who do not live with you;

5. Everyone wear a mask whenever you leave home and wear a mask INSIDE your home if someone from outside your household is visiting;

6. Everyone clean their hands frequently using soap and water, hand sanitizer, or isopropyl alcohol wipes. Washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds works best. Avoid touching your face; and

7. Families and loved ones should limit visitation to long term care facilities.

This Public Health Advisory shall remain in effect until COVID-19 disease trends move in a more positive direction statewide and in accordance with future governor executive orders or commissioner orders as needed.

Lamont has ordered the entire state to roll back to Phase 2.1 rules — a slightly modified version of the previously enacted Phase 2 rules — which became effective at 12:01 am on Friday, November 6.

According to the latest executive order, the following business sectors will be subject to a 10 pm closing time, seven days per week:

*Restaurants (last service for in-person dining at 9:30 pm, although takeout and delivery may continue.

*Entertainment and recreation venues, e.g. movie theaters, bowling alleys, performing arts theaters.

*Indoor and outdoor events at commercial venues.

The rollback accommodates events that were previously scheduled to take place prior to November 9. The state’s Department of Economic & Community Development (DECD) web portal states that those activities may still take place in accordance with the rules that were in place in their municipality prior to the announcement of Phase 2.1.

Other specific sector details are as follows:

Restaurants — Up to 50 percent capacity indoors with 6-foot spacing and/or non-porous barriers, and a maximum of eight people per table.

Religious gatherings — Indoors, up to 50 percent capacity, capped at 100 with masks and social distancing required; outdoors, see Phase 3 rules.

Outdoor event venues, e.g., amphitheaters, race tracks) — Up to 25 percent capacity with social distancing and masks required.

Indoor performing arts theaters — Up to 50 percent capacity with 6-foot spacing between parties, capped at 100 people.

Indoor recreation — Up to 50 percent capacity with social distancing and masks required; movie theaters and similar entertainment venues capped at 100 people.

Private social, and recreational gatherings at commercial venues — Indoors, 25 people; outdoors, 50 people.

Private social and recreational gatherings at private residences — Indoors, 10 people; outdoors, 10 people.

Graduations — Indoors, up to 50 percent capacity, capped at 100 with masks and social distancing required; outdoors, see Phase 3 rules.

All bars are to remain closed.

Sports, Local Updates

During the press event Thursday, Lamont said there will be no more in-state hosting of regional sporting competitions or tournaments.

He said this will reduce the number of out-of-state competitors — particularly hockey events. The governor said Massachusetts and Rhode Island have initiated uniform policies, and New York is also putting modified restrictions in place regarding sporting activities and team travel.

The official order does not go into effect until Monday, November 9, but Lamont asked that any weekend sporting activities and travel be curtailed ahead of the official mandate.

There are to be no further high-risk sports games among K-12 students for the remainder of 2020.

Anyone participating in medium-risk indoor sports must wear a mask at all times, including during play, and all hosting venues must have strict distancing, disinfecting, and spectator safety protocols in place.

High-risk sports affected by new guidelines include wrestling, 11-on-11 football, boys’ lacrosse, competitive cheer, dance, boxing, rugby, and martial arts.

Medium contact sports are identified as baseball, softball, soccer, basketball, volleyball, water polo, gymnastics, swimming relays, pole vault, long jump, high jump, ice hockey, field hockey, rowing/crew, 7-on-7 football, tennis, and girls’ lacrosse.

“We’re doing everything we can to allow school sports go forward as best we can while we keep you safe,” Lamont said, adding that while Connecticut has the eighth lowest positivity rate in the country, “I take no solace in that.”

The governor also reminded anyone involved in youth sports to be responsive and transparent when and if state or local health department contact tracers call for information.

“It’s really important if [officials] ask, tell us who is on the roster for that hockey game,” he said. “If there’s an infection, we need to know that so we can do a prompt track and trace and really try to limit spread as best we can.”

As expected, on Thursday, November 5, Newtown was elevated from yellow to orange on the state’s positivity “heat map,” with 10-14 positive cases per 100,000 residents. For the reporting period of 10/18/20 to 10/31/20, Newtown had a 13.6 percent average daily rate of cases.

As of November 4 at 8:30 pm, the total of COVID-19 cases reported among Connecticut residents was 77,060, including 72,261 laboratory-confirmed and 4,799 probable cases. Three-hundred-eighty patients were hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 at that time and 4,656 COVID-19-associated deaths had been registered.

To report a business or other venue someone believes is in violation of Phase 2.1 guidelines, visit

https://appengine.egov.com/apps/ct/covid-19/reopen-ct-business-complaint-form.