Coronavirus Update-Sports Teams, Priorities, Testing & Case Data
June 8th –Today, CT’s Department of Economic and Community Development released additional detailed guidelines for Phase 2. Guidelines for sports teams begin on page 14 of the sector rules. Parks and Recreation Director Steve Pierce and the Parks and Recreation Commission will be discussing the guidelines at their meeting on Wednesday evening. Wilton youth sports organizations should expect an email from Steve late this week or early next week. As a reminder, youth organizations must self-certify, as applicable, before offering programs.
As I have written before, throughout the pandemic many town employees have performed two jobs, their regular job responsibilities and new pandemic responsibilities. As we enter Phase 2, many are adding a third, reopening responsibilities. Essential services and projects have continued throughout the pandemic. Discretionary projects continue to remain on hold. The following are priorities and areas of focus as we enter Phase 2:
- Assisting and facilitating businesses and non-profits reopening in Phase 2.
- Providing camp throughout the summer to facilitate residents’ returning to work.
- Reopening playing fields.
- Completing required changes to the interiors of municipal buildings to comply with sector rules.
- Providing assistance to the public schools as they develop their reopening plans.
A few residents have emailed to ask if the Town is considering offering a Coronavirus testing program for residents, as has been offered in New Canaan. We investigated the concept and spoke with other municipal officials and testing organizations, including the organization involved with New Canaan. Key takeaways were:
- Resident testing requires health department and other town department resources.
- Different organizations have different requirements and testing techniques.
- Doctor’s orders are generally required
- Some testing organizations require residents to sign up for an additional tele-health service before providing test results.
- In our area, testing is readily available, including through hospitals, pharmacies and medical professionals.
At this time, because of the availability of testing and the increased demands on the Wilton Health Department under Phase 2, we don’t currently plan to test residents. We will continue to monitor the situation. In the meantime, we encourage residents to speak with their doctor about testing and testing centers.
CT DPH reported 36 new cases in Fairfield County or a pandemic-to-date total of 16,092. Wilton had 206 cases. Fairfield County hospitalizations again increased by 3 to 114 patients. Total deaths in Fairfield County increased by 4 to 1,316. Fairfield Country case growth continues to be driven by the four largest cities: Stamford, Bridgeport, Norwalk and Danbury. During the last week, Bridgeport saw the same growth in cases as the week before, Stamford and Danbury were down and Norwalk was up.
Statewide, CT DPH reported 124 new cases for a total of 44,092 as of 8:30 p.m. yesterday. 266 cases have not yet been assigned to a municipality. 5,715 new tests were performed for a pandemic-to-date total of 305,996 in Connecticut. Statewide deaths rose by 13 to 4,084. Statewide hospitalizations decreased by 9 to 324 patients.
In addition to CT DPH daily reports, the State is providing further pandemic downloadable data through the CT Data Center.
“Out of respect for each other, as Americans that care for each other, we need to be wearing masks in public when we cannot social distance.” Dr. Deborah Birx, Coronavirus Response Coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force.
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