Coronavirus Update- Hopeful Case Data, Share the Road & Business Resources

April 19th – Today’s hospital data continues to be encouraging, as there are 51 fewer Coronavirus patients in Fairfield County hospitals than there were on Friday. CT DPH reports  17,962 laboratory-confirmed statewide cases with 7,434 or 41% in Fairfield County and 103 in Wilton. Approximately 3% of total reported cases have not yet been assigned to a municipality. Today’s test positive rate remained at 27%.  Currently 1.63% of the State’s population has been tested.  Deaths have risen to 1,127 with Fairfield County at 447.  The number of cases currently hospitalized decreased by 37 to 1,901 with a decrease of 30 in Fairfield County to 746.

This past week, the State Bond Commission met and approved $5 million in bond funding, should it be needed, for costs associated with Coronavirus.  Locally, both the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Education expect to have net cost savings in our current year’s budgets. Those funds will be returned to the General Fund and be available to the Board of Finance when considering the FY2021 budget and mill rate.  Again, the Board of Finance is meeting on Monday evening and would like to hear from residents on the impact of coronavirus on them and their expectations for the FY2021 budget and mill rate. 

With so many residents, walking, running and biking on the roads, please remember to share the road.  CTDOT has many helpful resources on their Share the Road webpage.  

The Department of Economic and Community Development announced more than 18,000 loans totaling more than $4.1 billion were approved for Connecticut businesses under the federal Payroll Protection Program. The Department also announced a number of new initiatives to assist businesses:

  • A new partnership with SoFi and Equifax to help expedite the approval of previously submitted Connecticut Recovery Bridge Loan Program applications.
  • A new website, www.ctcovidresponse.org, to connect Connecticut manufacturers and suppliers with health care institutions to produce medical supplies and PPE. 
  • The Department of Revenue Services (DRS) launched Priority One Taxpayer Assistance Program  to help businesses and individual taxpayers, who can’t meet their current collections obligations.
  • AdvanceCT launched a second survey of businesses to help inform how the economy will re-open. 

As always, if you have any questions, please email the appropriate town department or me at lynne.vanderslice@wiltonct.org.

Thank you,

Lynne Vanderslice

First Selectwoman

What should you do to stop the spread?

  • Stay home.
  • Maintain a distance of 6 feet between you and another person.  This standard applies whether inside or outside.  
  • Wear a mask when in public.
  • Respect the Governor’s prohibition on social or recreational gatherings of more than 5 people, including leisure gatherings.
  • Consolidate your shopping and errands to minimize the numbers of days you must leave your home.  If the store parking lot is more than half full, return home and shop at another time.
  • Take advantage of the delivery options offered by many Wilton businesses.
  • Practice your team sport on your own, not with your teammates.  The internet is full of videos and suggestions on how to do this. 
  • Do walk outside. If your street is walkable, please consider walking there rather than a public trail. When the NRVT parking lot, or that of another trail, is more than 50% full, please find another place to walk.  There are 127 miles of town-owned roads, more than 80 private roads and more than 3 miles of sidewalk on state-owned roads.
  • Please respect the town’s closure of fields and recreation facilities.  

Visual of Connecticut Cases by Town