By Richard Kaufman
Sentinel Reporter
Hospitalizations at Greenwich Hospital related to COVID-19 continue to decline, as there are now 69 patients being treated in various hospital units, down from 73 reported yesterday.
Last week after a decrease, hospitalization numbers spiked before going back down over the weekend and throughout this week. Chief Operating Officer of Greenwich Hospital, Diane Kelly, said during Thursday’s daily coronavirus update that the flattening of the curve isn’t going to be consistent.
“It’s not going to be a perfect, smooth curve as we all want it to be. I’m remaining cautiously optimistic, and there’s no science behind that. We’re going to continue to watch closely. I do believe social distancing, good hand hygiene and people taking this seriously is happening. We still do have 69 patients in house. That’s a lot of people with one diagnosis in any hospital,” she said.
Kelly said last week that the hospital was in need of more isolation gowns, and they were able to secure some, but not what they were hoping for.
“We’re looking at trying to see if there’s something different we can do in that arena. It’s going to take a little time to see if that works, so we’re continuing to be very cautious about isolation gowns,” she added.
To date, 367 patients have been discharged from the Greenwich Hospital and continue their recuperation at home. There have been 4,858 people tested at the hospital outpatient test site, with 1,658 testing positive. These numbers reflect patients who live in Greenwich as well as those from other municipalities in Connecticut and in Westchester County.
As of Thursday, according to Greenwich Health Director Caroline Baisley, there are 676 Greenwich residents who have tested positive for COVID-19, up from 673 reported on Wednesday. Since the pandemic began, the Connecticut Department of Public Health reports as of Wednesday that 33 Greenwich residents have died of COVID-19.
On Thursday morning, it was announced that the Greenwich Town Party, which was originally scheduled for Memorial Day weekend and then pushed to August, has been cancelled altogether. Next year’s party will be held on Saturday, May 29, 2021.
“We were holding out hope that we’d be able to pull it off and that we’d be on the other side of this. [GTP organizers] came to us well over a month ago with possible dates and scenarios, and the town was working with them on it, but they came to us the other day and decided that they could not pull it off,” First Selectman Fred Camillo said on Thursday during his daily update. “There’s so much uncetaintly that they were having trouble finalizing things, so they decided it would be better to play it safe.”
Camillo said the town continues to assess and reassess upcoming events on a daily basis. He has said recently that “it’s not looking good” for the Sound Beach Volunteer Firefighter Memorial Day Parade.
“We’ll circle back at the end of each week and see where we are. Hopefully each week we’re getting better and better and getting closer to the other side [of the pandemic],” Camillo said.
As towns and cities look to reopen, Camillo was asked if he had started putting together a “recovery committee” to help get the town back on its feet once the pandemic slows and ultimately subsides in the future.
While Camillo noted that it’s too early to put together a committee, he remarked that there have been chats with various people and ideas thrown around about how to make streamline town government and services, and how to prepare for other health emergencies that may crop up.
“We will have a blueprint in place. We want to be leaner, we want to be more effective and efficient, and be able to deliver services even better than before. I think technology is going to help with that. There’s going to be a lot of ideas and people involved with it. We’ve been having conversations already.”
Griffith E.Harris golf course to reopen
The Griffith E. Harris Golf Course will reopen at 8 a.m. Monday, May 4. The operational and playing protocol changes include one person per cart, tee times are by reservation only which can be made online, and the putting green, practice bunker and chipping green remain closed. The complete list of operational and playing protocols can be found thegriffgolf.org.
Scam warning from Greenwich Police
The Greenwich Police Department is warning residents of potential scams centered around the coronavirus pandemic. Scams range from unsolicited emails and texts with links to websites that law enforcement has identified as fraudulent. Some offer products claiming they can prevent, treat, diagnose or cure COVID-19, others are offering goods services, loans or debt relief. For guidance on how to protect yourself and your family from becoming a scam victim, please visit this Greenwich Police webpage.
Face masks for small essential businesses
The state of Connecticut announced that face masks for small essential businesses – with 50 or less employees – will be able to receive the masks from their local municipality. Local essential businesses will need to submit an application for the masks to the State. The Town of Greenwich is in communication with the State to receive details about the distribution logistics. The Office of the First Selectman will announce details as they become available. The list of essential businesses can be found here.
Staying at home = time to complete the Census 2020
Camillo is urging every Greenwich resident to participate in the Census.
“We really need to push this. We want to end up being one of the municipalities everyone talks about as having responded very well to this,” he said.
Residents may complete the 2020 Census online at www.my2020census.gov.
The questionnaire only takes about 10 minutes, and all answers are strictly confidential. Your information will not be shared with any other agencies or organizations. The Town receives approximately $2,900 in federal aid for each resident who is counted in the Census.
“If you don’t take the few minutes to do it, that’s less money for the town and for the state. In a time when towns and states are cutting back on budgets, [$2,900] is a pretty big number,” Camillo added.
Please use this time of social distancing and working from home to do your part for the Town. For people who do not have access to a computer, they can complete it by calling these numbers:
English: 1-844-330-2020
Spanish:1-844-468-2020
Chinese (Mandarin) 1-844-391-2020
Chinese (Cantonese) 1-844-398-2020
Haitian Creole: 1-844-474-2020
If you’ve already completed the Census, please encourage your friends, neighbors – from a safe distance – to sit and be counted, too.
Other resources for residents and businesses and other helpful tips
For residents with questions about COVID-19, please call the Greenwich HealthDepartment’s phone lines: 203-622 -7865; 203-622-7703; 203-622-7614; 203-622- 7842 and 203-622-7836.
To reach the Domestic Abuse Services staff at the YWCA, please call the 24/7 hotline at 203-622-0003.
Residents, who need assistance with basic needs, including food, can call the Department of Human Services at 203-622-3800.
Members of the public are encouraged to sign-up for the Town’s Emergency AlertNotification System at greenwichct.bbcportal.com/Entry
If you are concerned about an activity or a group not following COVID-19 protocols, please call the Greenwich Police Department’s non-emergency phone number: 203-622- 8004.
Don’t have a face mask? Many people with COVID-19 are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic, meaning they can transmit the virus without knowing they have it. Easy to follow instructions to make cloth facial masks can be found here
