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Coronavirus Update-May 20th Redefined, Dog Waste on the NRVT, Case Data and Executive Order 7EE

Posted on: April 23, 2020 - 9:03pm

April 23rd – Today, the Co-chairs of the Reopen Connecticut Advisory Committee joined the Governor for his afternoon press conference. May 20th is now the date when the advisory committee will present scenarios for reopening.  The Governor will be presented with a number of options and the trade-offs of each. Schools and closed businesses will not reopen on May 20th.  Co-chair Indra Nooyi explained there won’t be a “big bang” opening, instead it will occur in layers, with maybe "small steps starting in June" and "progressing until the end of the year". 

Co-chair Dr. Albert Ko shared that Yale New Haven is working on spit testing, which is safer for the individual administering the test, requires less protective equipment and can be decentralized. No possible timetable was provided.  Both co-chairs were very informative and I recommend watching the press conference.  A video is available on the CT News Junkie or the Good Morning Wilton Facebook page or likely can be found by googling. 

Although we will receive our guidance from the Governor, we are also developing plans for town operations over the next six months.  We are also planning for any possible resurgence when flu season begins in the fall.  As requested by the Board of Finance, we are looking at options to reduce our FY2021 budget, but we will need to add Coronavirus related costs that were not in the previously submitted budget.  

Congratulations to Middlebrook students, staff and Zero Waste Schools parent volunteers for being named a 2020 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools award honoree.

Wilton’s Carry In-Carry Out policy has generally had good compliance across the community, but with increased visitors to the NRVT, visitors leaving dog waste bags on the trails has been an issue.  This could be due to an increase in non-residents using the trail.  Friends of the NRVT has posted signs and temporarily placed a trash container in the parking lot off Sharp Hill Road. This is being done at their cost.  If you are one of the individuals who isn’t carrying out your waste, please consider helping out with the cost by donating to Friends of the NRVT. 

Today, CT DPH reports 23,100 laboratory-confirmed statewide cases with 10,008 or 43% in Fairfield County and 140 in Wilton.  522 cases have not yet been assigned to a municipality. Today’s test positive rate was 40%.  Dr. Ko shared that 10% should be the test positvie rate if we were performing the adequate number of tests. Currently, 2% of the State’s population has been tested.  Deaths rose by 95 to 1,639 with Fairfield County at 615.  The number of patients currently hospitalized decreased by 25 to 1,947 with a decrease of 19 in Fairfield County to 730.  For the first time, CT DPH released cumulative hospital admissions by location of hospital.  Statewide there have been 6,024 hospital admissions of cases, with 2,351 in Fairfield County. 

Tonight, the Governor issued Executive Order 7EE, which among others, includes mandatory reporting requirements for nursing homes and managed residential communities and the waiving of certain Medicaid authorizations.  

Nursing homes have experienced a significant number of patient and employee cases.  CT DPH had hoped to provide more details on nursing homes in tonight’s report, but compilation of that data is still not complete.  I’ll include that in tomorrow night’s report. Nursing homes have experienced a significant number of patient and employee cases.  CT DPH had hoped to provide more details on nursing homes in tonight’s report, but compilation of that data is still not complete.  I’ll include that in tomorrow night’s report. 

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