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Camillo: We’re Entering the Final Stages of the Pandemic

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By Richard Kaufman
Sentinel Reporter

First Selectman Fred Camillo gave an update on COVID-19 in Greenwich on Wednesday, and he said that although cases have climbed in town at a consistent rate in recent weeks and there are still rough times ahead, brighter days are coming as vaccinations get rolled out.

“The great news is that the vaccines have arrived and you’re starting to see little by little around the country people getting them. With each passing month we’re going to see the effects of the vaccination circulating throughout the population which is great. After a few months of that, then we’re going to be getting a little warmer weather, and then who knows what the strength of the virus will be at that point,” Camillo said.

But he urged residents to keep their guard up as the holiday season continues into the winter.

“We do have another tough month ahead. I’m very hopeful that as long as we keep our guard up and our masks on, and our distances, we’ll be fine. Just know that we still have some rough seas ahead, but we’ll get there,” he added.

As of press time on Wednesday, Dec. 16, Greenwich saw an increase of 243 COVID cases since Dec. 9, bringing the total number of residents who have tested positive to 2,110. Over that same week time period, active cases jumped from 98 to 109, and the Greenwich death toll since the start of the pandemic in March increased from 59 to 60.

As of Wednesday morning, Greenwich Hospital was treating 35 COVID patients, with one of those patients ventilated in the Intensive Care Unit.

“Around the state the numbers aren’t good, but this was predicted. We knew this was coming. We predict that in the next few weeks we’re going to see similar numbers because of the [holiday] gatherings,” Camillo said.

Camillo said that there are no plans to close Greenwich Town Hall over the next few weeks. He praised town employees and residents for following the protocols in place when visiting.

“It’s about offering as much normalcy as possible while doing so in a very safe manner. We’ve managed to do that [at Town Hall]. I believe we were the first town of our size to reopen and we pulled it off,” Camillo said. “There’s no plans at all to dial that back even in the next month. But each and every day we wake up knowing it’s a new day. You assess the situation and then move on.”

Greenwich Hospital began vaccinating its healthcare workers on Wednesday, and Camillo said he was happy to see the day finally come.

“We’re entering the final stages of [the pandemic]. I say that not to get ahead of ourselves now, because we’re still not there, but the end is in sight. We’re in a very different place than we were at the end of last March. So [the vaccine] brings a lot of optimism and hope. I’m very happy and grateful to see that, and thankful for everyone who made that happen,” Camillo said.

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