Danbury Coronavirus: 132 Cases In Past 3 Days

DANBURY, CT — In the latest tally of confirmed coronavirus cases in Danbury, Mayor Mark Boughton reported 33 Monday, 73 Sunday and another 26 cases on Saturday.

"These numbers are not good," Boughton said during a Facebook livestream Monday evening.

The continued uptick in city coronavirus cases mirrors the spread of the virus throughout the state. Nearly 5,300 cases were reported over the weekend statewide, out of more than 109,000 tests.

Danbury was among the first coronavirus red zones designated by the state six weeks ago, and has retained that distinction, joined now by over 95 percent of Connecticut municipalities.

Red zones have 15 or more COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population over two weeks.

Dr. Tammy Weiner, an emergency physician with Nuvance Health who joined Boughton on the Facebook livestream, said Danbury Hospital is "definitely seeing an uptick in cases."

She said the virus was spreading, and advised residents to follow the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"I am hopeful that if the community continues to follow guidelines, like wearing masks, practicing proper social distancing, washing your hands, we might be able to flatten that curve a little bit further again as we prepare for the winter surge," Weiner said. "Right now we have a few dozen patients with COVID. I expect those numbers to go up, though."

Weiner emphasized that no one should fear going to the Emergency Room if the need arises. She said there was an increase in the number of area people dying from ailments such as heart attacks and strokes during the early days of the pandemic because they were afraid to come into the hospital

Like many area health care professionals, Weiner said she is worried about the next three weeks.

"This is not a time to invite Grandma to Thanksgiving dinner if she is not a member of your household" she said, and encouraged residents to have a "Zoom Thanksgiving."

Danbury Hospital has been tapped as one of the sites selected for trials for one of the first two COVID-19 vaccines headed to market, Weiner said.

"We will probably see a vaccine for some members of the public starting the spring," she said.

Residents' mental health is a growing concern among area physicians, Weiner said, and she warned viewers they were "going to have some anxiety."

She gave advice on how to weather the coming storm.

"You need to really practice good self-care at this time: That means getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, abstaining from alcohol and tobacco, making sure you are well-rested and you are getting exercise."