COVID-19 Travel Advisory Mandate for Conn. to be Lifted Later This Week

By the end of the week, Connecticut will take a major step toward getting back to normal as many business restrictions and travel mandates will be lifted.

For anyone traveling to and from the state, this upcoming Friday will be the beginning of things looking a bit different.

Part of Governor Ned Lamont's roll back on restrictions include lifting the state's travel advisory mandate. It will turn what was a requirement into a recommendation, meaning passengers will no longer be required to provide a negative COVID-19 test or quarantine for 10 days after travel.

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This comes as welcomed news as the Connecticut Airport Authority said Bradley International Airport is seeing 70% fewer travelers than its pre-pandemic traffic levels.

"The CAA is pleased with the governor's revisions to the travel advisory, and we believe that this will set the stage for further recovery at Bradley Airport," Executive Director Kevin Dillon said in a statement.

There have been times throughout the pandemic where Bradley Airport has been extraordinarily quiet and people avoiding travel. Now, though, it appears some people are starting to get more comfortable with traveling and could be ready to escape the cold.

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It turns out that some travelers are feeling just as hopeful.

"I was concerned about having to be quarantined and being at the hotel how many days you had to stay," said Gary Thompson, of California. "It's going to be easier and maybe there will be more people that will start to fly."

Officials at Bradley said they plan to keep its original COVID-19 test site in place for now and the state Department of Public Health will reassess in the coming weeks.

Other Mandates Being Lifted Friday

Capacity limits will be eliminated at restaurants, gyms, personal services and houses of worship. Also included in that is libraries, museums and aquariums.

"We're gonna keep going what works and I think that's important for your business so that people slowly start coming back in, they'll feel more confident when they see people wearing the mask," Lamont said.

Even with all the changes, Lamont still recommends wearing a mask, continuing special cleaning and social distancing in public.