Coronavirus East Haven: 20 Positive Cases, 1 Death

EAST HAVEN, CT — Mayor Joe Carfora said Thursday that East Haven now has 20 confirmed COVID-19 cases. One person has died.

Carfora said that emergency and public safety officials are "certain that more cases do exist in our town, some can be carriers and do not know it. I encourage you to continue to remain home unless shopping for food, need medicine, or going to and from work- if that is required."

Carfora reminded residents that while people aged 50 to 59 are the "largest group of those testing positive right now, our seniors are overwhelmingly the most at risk."

"Make no mistake, this will be a challenging couple of weeks as we head into 'the surge' as more cases are identified and more people are identified," Carfora said. "Do you part and stay home."

The mayor said that there is "not one area of town that has more cases then another and the areas of town affected are as diverse as our age groups so we must remain vigilant. I realize that the task of social distancing is difficult and it's wholly inconsistent with caring and warm characteristics of our town. But we must remain and stay apart until we put this behind us and it is safe to return to normal. The next few weeks will be a challenge, but our leadership team is prepared to meet those challenges, learning to adapt, we have learned to make government work in ways we had not done so before."

Carfora asked residents to "please help us keep our neighbors safe by adhering to social distancing, limits social gatherings to five or less people, and if you are visiting from out of town quarantine for 14 days."

Those experiencing COVID-19 symptoms are advised to:

· Call your medical provider before going to their office or call the Yale New Haven Health System COVID-19 Call Center at 203-688-1700. Your health care provider will make an assessment and order COVID-19 testing as appropriate.

· Separate yourself from other people in your home by at least six feet. Use a separate bathroom and bedroom, if available. Avoid sharing personal household items.

· Monitor your symptoms. If your condition is worsening (i.e. difficulty breathing), seek emergency medical attention. Notify the healthcare provider BEFORE arrival that you have, or are being evaluated for COVID-19.

Carfora encouraged people to "take advantage of our open spaces while social distancing, walks on our beautiful beach or the shoreline greenway trail are great ideas." He also reminded people to not "fall prey to telephone or internet scams and never give anyone personal information."

"As this situation continues to evolve over the coming weeks, our emergency management team and I will continue to keep you updated," he said.

"Check our website frequently for information. We also intend to continue to utilize the reverse 911 system. If you are not signed up for this please go to ctalert.gov. Thank you and please keep our first responders and their families in your prayers."