In a historic move, the state Capitol will now remain closed for another two weeks until March 30 because of concerns about the coronavirus, according to four sources with knowledge of the issue.
State Rep. Christopher Rosario, a Bridgeport Democrat, used information from top lawmakers when he tweeted, “On a call earlier today with the other caucus leaders, based on the latest public health information available from the governor’s office, we have decided to temporarily close the Capitol and Legislative Office Building. We plan to reopen the building on Monday, March 30.”
The update was confirmed by another legislator and two state employees with knowledge of the new date.
Both Democratic and Republican state legislators were informed on a day when it was eerily quiet at the state Capitol, marking the first day of a major cleaning that will keep the complex closed at least until March 30.
Crews cleaned the historic Hall of the House in the morning, and they then headed to the state Senate in the early afternoon. The crews cleaned every table, chair, bench and door knob in the Senate, including the often-touched gold-colored handrails that cordon off the Senate circle.
A supervisor for the private contracting crew, who refused to reveal her name, said that the ongoing work was extensive.
“We’re not cleaning. We’re disinfecting,” she said in the Senate. “We’re doing a thorough, top-to-bottom disinfection.”
The work includes not only the state Capitol building, but the adjacent Legislative Office Building and the Old State House in downtown Hartford.
Armed with spray bottles and rags, the crews even cleaned the red and green buttons that all 36 senators push to record votes in the chamber.
In an email sent to House Democrats by Speaker Joe Aresimowicz of Berlin and Majority Leader Matt Ritter of Hartford, they said, “We are aware that this means that we will hit JF deadlines with this delay. And we are contemplating ways to continue business following this suspension. Leaders will revisit this decision next week as we have additional information.”
The leaders added, “We will be asking all staff to work from home during this two week closure. Additional guidance on this will be coming” from the Office of Legislative Management, which oversees the Capitol.
Lawmakers have favored taking strong measures to stem the spread of the virus, particularly in the hard-hit area of lower Fairfield County.
“Every action taken to ‘flatten the curve’ of public exposure – suspending classes, cancelling public meetings and events – will help reduce the spread of this virus and the number of cases in Connecticut,” said Sen. Alex Kasser, a Greenwich Democrat who recently changed her name from Bergstein. “This is a crisis, and we need to act accordingly to avoid worse outcomes.”
The top six leaders issued a statement that said, “In order to continue to take all necessary steps to protect the health and safety of the public, the General Assembly will postpone all committee meetings, public hearings, and other legislative business until March 30. Over the next two weeks, we will continue to discuss amongst each other and determine if any additional action needs to be taken.”