Virus infections prompt partial closures at Conn. state Capitol

Connecticut officials have ordered partial closures at the state Capitol complex due to coronavirus infections among police officers and legislative staff.

The Capitol and neighboring Legislative Office Building were closed Thursday and will be shut down on Wednesdays and Fridays at least through the end of the month. Staffers are being asked to work remotely on those two days.

Staffing at the 42-member State Capitol Police agency has been cut by about half because of coronavirus infections, Jim Tamburro, executive director of the Joint Committee on Legislative Management, said in an email Wednesday to lawmakers and staff members.

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Lawmakers also said that many legislative staffers are out of work after contracting the virus.

Entry points in the Capitol complex will be limited on the days the buildings are open. Mask and social distancing requirements remain in place, and elevators are limited to two people at a time.

The partial closures come as officials prepare for the 2022 legislative session, which begins Feb. 9.

ConnecticutCoronavirusPolitics