Connecticut events being canceled due to omicron concerns as Lamont warns ‘be careful’ [Hartford Courant]

Public gatherings and events around the state are being canceled due to concerns about omicron just days after the weekend announcement that the new COVID-19 variant had been identified in Connecticut.

Omicron, thought to be more contagious than the original and delta strains has sparked renewed concerns and precautions about the coronavirus, which has put arts, sports and other events on and off-and-on hiatus since the spring of 2020.

“There’s no question about it, especially folks of a certain age: Stay out of contagious situations,” Gov. Ned Lamont advised Sunday morning on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “We just don’t know enough about this variant. Be careful.”

On Monday afternoon the American Hockey League announced that the Hartford Wolf Pack’s Dec. 8 game against the Belleville Senators will not be played due to “league COVID-19 protocols affecting the Wolf Pack.” Wolf Pack games on Dec. 1, 3 and 4 had previously been postponed.

The annual Hartford Blooms Holiday Church tour scheduled for Dec. 11 has been postponed “due to the increasing spread of the Omicron variant of Covid,” the organization said Monday. “We’ll be putting all of our efforts into making an even more spectacular Hartford Blooms Garden Tour in the Spring 2022.” Refunds are being offered.

Citing “an abundance of caution” as well as “a directive from the university,” on Monday morning, UConn’s Connecticut Repertory Theatre announced that it was canceling its Dec. 2-12 run of the sociopolitical drama “Food for the Gods.” The theater had only recently returned to live public performances, and “Food for the Gods” had already drastically reduced the size of its audiences. The play was to be performed by UConn students.

The cancellations come just as audiences were starting to reemerge for live performances at the major Connecticut theaters and concert halls. This past week saw openings of new shows at Hartford Stage, TheaterWorks and Playhouse on Park as well as a Hartford Symphony Orchestra concert at The Bushnell.

The long-hoped-for return of major employers to Hartford’s downtown is also being impacted. The Hartford Financial Services Group said Thursday it would delay plans to have senior leaders return to the insurance company’s downtown office, in response to omicron’s arrival.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we are delaying the return of senior leaders to the office as scientists and medical experts work to understand the new virus variant, Omicron, and its implications for transmissibility and vaccine effectiveness,” Matthew Sturdevant, a spokesperson for The Hartford, said in a statement.

The omicron variant of COVID-19 arrives in Connecticut amidst a rise in the state’s COVID-19 numbers. The state on Monday reported 5,481 new COVID-19 cases; the state’s weekly positivity rate now also stands at 5.8%, the highest it has been since mid-January.

The first Connecticut person to have tested positive for omicron was a Hartford County man in his 60s. He may have been infected by a family member who attended the Anime NYC convention in New York, according to Gov. Ned Lamont’s office.

In a statement Saturday, Lamont said “I must urge everyone in Connecticut not to panic. While we are still learning more about this variant, our health providers are continuing to do their best to protect everyone.”

Lamont recommended residents seek out vaccines and booster shots, but also offered reassurance that vaccines continue to be effective in fighting the virus.

First detected in South Africa, the omicron variant has since been found in dozens of countries, including Canada and the United States. In Connecticut, officials have warned for weeks that the variant would likely arrive soon and have pleaded with residents to get booster shots as a precaution.

Though researchers lack full understanding of the omicron variant’s properties, evidence points to increased transmissibility and an enhanced risk of reinfection for those who have already had COVID-19. It is so far unclear the degree to which the new variant can break through vaccine immunity.

The World Health Organization, which has classified omicron as a “variant of concern,” suggests safety measures including vaccination, masks, hand hygiene, physical distancing, improved ventilation of indoor spaces and avoidance of crowded spaces.

Christopher Arnott can be reached at carnott@courant.com.

Alex Putterman contributed to this report.

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