Coronavirus Update-Testing Sites, State Reopening Plan, BOS Budget Savings & Case Data
May 28th-As previously shared, getting tested for the virus has become increasingly easier. To find the location that works best for you, a link to a search page is on the Coronavirus Resources page of the Town website and available here.
This week the Governor released a Roadmap to Reopen Connecticut, which provides information on the removal of many of the restrictions implemented in response to the pandemic. The document is available here. We had already begun development of our own plan for the reopening of town government. We are incorporating the necessary changes based on the Governor’s plan and will release our plan next week. Any Board of Education plan will be a separate document.
Some of you may have previously read of the Town’s efforts to move to the State Partnership Plan for medical benefits, which will allow for savings by the Town and most Town employees. Although that effort was disrupted by the pandemic, I’m happy to share those discussions are now continuing. As a result, last night I recommended to the Board of Selectmen that the proposed FY2021 Board of Selectmen Budget be revised to include $300,000 of anticipated savings in medical benefits costs. In response, the Board of Selectmen voted to recommend a FY2021 budget request of $32.9 million. That amount is $586,000 lower than the current year’s budget and $996,000 lower than the FY2021 pre-Coronavirus recommended request. When and if the Town begins to enjoy those medical savings, some portion of previously discussed and unpopular reductions, including those to the Transfer Station, the Library and the Teen Center, may no longer be necessary. The Board of Finance will consider the recommended budget as part of their setting the FY2021 budget and mill rate. Those meetings begin on Monday, June 1st.
CT DPH reported 39 net new cases in Fairfield County as further corrections were made to prior case totals. Cases now total 15,353. Wilton remained at 201 cases. Fairfield County hospitalizations decreased by 9 to 211. Deaths in Fairfield Country rose by 4 to 1,246.
Statewide, CT DPH reported 271 new cases for a total of 41,559 laboratory-confirmed cases, as of 8:30 p.m. yesterday. 218 cases have not yet been assigned to a municipality. 5,756 new tests were performed for a pandemic-to-date total of 235,525 in Connecticut. Statewide deaths rose by 23 to 3,826. Statewide hospitalizations decreased by 36 patients to 649.
Today’s report included additional pandemic-to-date hospital data, including hospital admissions of 13,793 and hospital discharges of 7,511. The net of these two numbers, 6,282, includes current hospitalizations of 648 and an undisclosed number of what I understand to be patients who died in the hospitals and an undisclosed number who were transferred to other non-hospital facilities. I’ve requested further clarification of the numbers.
“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