Coronavirus In CT: Emergency Declared, Some Schools To Close

HARTFORD, CT — The second Connecticut resident to test positive for coronavirus is a woman in her 60s who works in health care at Bridgeport Hospital. She lives in Bethlehem and officials said she came in contact with a student there.

This revelation led to the closure of all Region 14 schools in Woodbury and Bethlehem until the end of the week. A daycare center was also closed. The woman was reported to have acquired the virus while on a trip to Nevada. She was being treated at Bridgeport Hospital.

School officials said the student and the student's family are healthy and self-monitoring in their home for 14 days.

Here is the "urgent" letter sent to parents from Region 14 schools superintendent Joseph A. Olzacki.

Region 14 schools coronavir... by Ellyn Santiago on Scribd

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See also: Possible Coronavirus At Stratford School Under Investigation

Meanwhile, at Wilcoxson Elementary School in Stratford, officials hope to know by Wednesday whether a student has the new coronavirus. If confirmed it would be a case of community transmission and not through travel. The child under a doctor's care, according to Public Health Director Andrea Boissevain. The town is not releasing any identifying information about the student.

Out of an abundance of caution, Wilcoxson Elementary School will be closed Wednesday through Friday for cleaning.

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State of emergency in Connecticut over coronavirus

Gov. Ned Lamont and state and local public health officials held a news conference to provide updates on Connecticut’s coronavirus preparedness and response efforts at the State Emergency Operations Center in Hartford.

Lamont declared a state of emergency, which is used when there's a disaster. According to the state, "(The) Governor may take control of any or all parts of the civil preparedness forces and functions within the State. The Governor may also take such actions as are reasonably necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the people" when there is such a disaster.

In this case, Lamont said the measure will enable the state to do "more testing faster." He said the state can only test 20 to 25 a day.

State Department of Public Health Director Renee Coleman-Mitchell said that 10 Connecticut hospitals can soon collect samples to increase testing capacity, noting that four of the hospitals are working to get the OK to perform their own tests. She said that to date, 56 people have been tested, two have tested positive, and 19 are in line. There are just two people trained to do the testing, though she said they're training more people. They hope to do 50-60 tests per day soon.

• Related: Coronavirus In CT: New Updates On Cancellations, Testing

The first coronavirus cases in Connecticut

The first resident who tested positive for coronavirus, or COVID-19, is a middle-age man from Wilton who is being treated at Danbury Hospital. He was reported to have contracted the virus while traveling in California.

Officials said they would not name people who have tested positive and added if individuals want to self-identify, that's up to them.

The second presumptive case of coronavirus in the state was announced Monday. The first case was announced Sunday. Over the weekend, coronavirus was detected in two health care workers, including a doctor, who live in New Rochelle, New York, and work in Connecticut. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday that New Rochelle will establish a one-mile containment zone to prevent the virus from spreading beyond the city's borders.

Connecticut coronavirus testing updates

Lamont said Monday that LapCorp is ready for coronavirus testing and Quest Diagnostics will be soon. Tests can only be done with a doctor's order.

The state Department of Public Health directed all nursing and convalescent homes to restrict visitations to contain the spread of the virus, given the elderly are at a higher risk of complications from COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the state Legislative Office Building will be closed to non-legislative visitors, events, tours and other gatherings. Legislators will have a shortened day Wednesday with only two hearings scheduled, according to WTNH. The state Capitol building will be closed Thursday and Friday for deep cleaning.

Coronavirus information for Connecticut residents

For the most up-to-date information from the state of Connecticut on COVID-19, including guidance and other resources, all residents in the state are encouraged to visit ct.gov/coronavirus.

Individuals who have general questions that are not answered on the website can also call 2-1-1 for assistance. The information line is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance and TDD/TTY access for those with a hearing impairment.

The hotline only intended to be used by individuals who are not experiencing symptoms but may have general questions related to COVID-19. Anyone experiencing symptoms is strongly urged to contact their medical provider to seek treatment.

Beware of coronavirus scammers

Lamont repeated a warning from the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency advising individuals to remain vigilant for email, text, social media, and phone scams related to COVID-19. Cyber actors may send emails or texts with malicious attachments or links to fraudulent websites to trick victims into revealing sensitive information or donating to fraudulent charities or causes. People are urged to exercise caution in handling any email related to COVID-19, including attachments or hyperlinks, and be wary of social media pleas, texts, or calls on the subject.

Individuals should remain vigilant and take the following precautions:

• Avoid clicking on links in unsolicited emails and be wary of email attachments. See Using Caution with Email Attachments and Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Scams for more information.
• Use trusted sources — such as legitimate, government websites — for up-to-date, fact-based information about COVID-19.
• Do not reveal personal or financial information in email, and do not respond to email solicitations for this information.
• Verify a charity’s authenticity before making donations. Review the Federal Trade Commission’s page on Charity Scams for more information.
• Review CISA Insights on Risk Management for COVID-19 for more information.