Coronavirus Update-Resident Questions, Case Data, Good Hospitalization Numbers & Executive Order
Posted on: April 24, 2020 - 9:16pm
April 24th – The following are recent resident questions:
- What has the Town done to help reduce the spread of the virus in hard hit nursing home facilities? As the State’s periodic reporting on nursing homes has shown, these facilities have had a disproportionate share of the State’s Coronavirus cases. By their nature, in terms of the residents they serve and the services they provide, the facilities are inherently at greater risk. Wilton’s Health Director Barry Bogle along with Police Captain Rob Cipolla have focused on Wilton’s one nursing home and six other senior housing communities by among others, performing site visits, making recommendations for additional proactive measures, training staff and assisting with isolation planning. We have deployed Visiting Nurses (source of school nurses) to supplement staff shortages due to illness and have provided protective equipment. After a resident at the School Sisters of Notre Dame facility tested positive (SSND announced the diagnosis), our emergency team, led by Barry, worked with SSND to reactivate the long-term care facility on the property to allow for isolation. According to nursing home data released today, as of April 22nd, Wilton’s one nursing home accounted for 7 of our then 135 laboratory confirmed cases and 6 laboratory confirmed Coronavirus deaths. It’s important to remember that these Wilton residents aren’t just statistics. They are someone’s loved one- a mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle or friend and should be remembered as such.
- With delays around the test data, can we rely on it? How do we know if staying home has worked? With inconsistent data, will we ever meet the 14-day decline benchmark to reopen? The case data isn’t perfect, but the comparative data between Westchester and Rockland Counties and Fairfield County are evidence that our actions, which were taken more quickly than those counties, are working. Westchester and Rockland have 2.5 to 3 times the cases per 100,000 people than we have in Fairfield County.
The purpose of staying home, social distancing, wearing masks and other efforts is to reduce the spread of the virus so as not to overwhelm the hospitals and the healthcare system. We have done that. This virus hasn’t and isn't going to be eliminated. Until there is a vaccine, we'll have to modify our behaviors, especially this fall when the flu season begins again. The benchmarks set by the State are the same benchmarks set by the CDC and the White House Task Force. Testing is key to allow for phased-in reopening, as envisioned by the CDC, the Task Force and the preliminary comments by the advisors to the Governor. To test, we need available test kits and necessary protective equipment. Both of these are in short supply in the United States and across the world. Though with new tests being developed and factories reworked, supplies should become more available. By partnering with CVS and Quest Diagnostics for testing, state officials expect to have access to an expanded supply chain. - When will the Town lift the suspension on disposal of bulky waste and other non-household materials at the Transfer Station? Town staff has traditionally been required to come into direct contact with bulky waste and other materials. We are working on new procedures to minimize contact and the risks to employees. We don’t have a roll out date at this point.
- Will Parks and Recreation be offering summer programming? Decisions on summer programming will be informed by the statewide orders issued by the Governor. In general, we are rethinking programming to determine how we can offer it in a creative way that ensures social distancing and the safety of the participants, Town staff and contractors. Parks and Recreation services, like many town services, will likely be different than “normal” when we reopen.
Today, CT DPH reports 23,921 laboratory-confirmed statewide cases with 10,227 or 43% in Fairfield County and 141 in Wilton. 507 cases have not yet been assigned to a municipality. Today’s test positive rate was 32%. Currently, 2.1% of the State’s population has been tested. Deaths rose by 125 to 1,764 with Fairfield County at 662. The number of patients currently hospitalized decreased by 70 to 1,877 with a decrease of 36 in Fairfield County to 694. Today’s statewide hospitalizations are less than the level on April 15th. The Fairfield County hospitalizations are less than the level on April 13th.
The hospitalization numbers are good news and further evidence of the success of our combined efforts to slow the spread of the virus. Please continue to behave as if you have the virus and as if those around you do as well.
Today the Governor issued Executive Order 7FF, which facilitates Medicaid telehealth.
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