On Nov. 16, Governor Lamont issued new criteria for college students returning to Connecticut for their fall break. In order to diminish the risk of transmission, students are required to test negatively for Covid-19 before arrival to the state as well as upon departure. The individual must also quarantine for two weeks before and after their arrival to Connecticut.

The enforcement of these rules really boils down to the honor system, but Lamont has implemented certain forms.

“In terms of enforcement, we have one at Bradley Airport, we also have a testing facility there,” Lamont said to Eyewitness News 3. “If you don’t have that, we can get you tested then and there, but you have to quarantine until we get that negative result for you.” 

Despite the criteria in place, Lamont is aware that he cannot completely control whether or not people will follow his criteria. 

“I can set a rule, I can set a law, I can pretend we’re going to have fines, but that’s meaningless,” Lamont said to Patch.

He has recommended celebrating solely with immediate family members and avoiding meetings with individuals at risk or the elderly.

Rebecca Schusseim ’23, whose brother is visiting from his college in North Carolina, believes that the safety precautions are effective. 

“Yeah, I definitely think they’re [the safety precautions] effective, because, like, you could get Covid through travel, even if you test negative before leaving school,” Schusseim said. “So I think that they definitely should be like the most safe as possible, and I think they are as of now.”

Additionally, spikes in Covid-19 cases have emerged in Connecticut, reinforcing the importance of following Lamont’s guidelines for a safer fall break. 

An article of the Hartford Courant mentioned that Lamont will be reaching out to universities in nearby states to spread information about Connecticut protocols. 

“I don’t want people just getting on that plane, going home, potentially putting their families at risk and their friends at risk,” Lamont said. “I think we’re going to be reaching out to all the universities to reinforce this with the students.”