Coronavirus Greenwich: 2 Residents Test Positive For Virus

GREENWICH, CT — First Selectman Fred Camillo confirmed to Patch late Friday that two Greenwich residents have tested positive for the new Coronavirus. Camillo subsequently released a statement Friday evening and said the residents were a man in his 20's and a man in his 40's.

The cases were first announced by Governor Ned Lamont in his Friday afternoon briefing, during which he said the number of confirmed cases of the virus, also referred to as the COVID-19 virus, in Connecticut had gone up to 11, including a Greenwich resident who tested positive in Utah. (To sign up for Greenwich breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

Camillo said he learned of the two confirmed cases late Friday afternoon.

"Given the global spread of the COVID-19 virus, it was a matter of time before local cases were reported," Camillo said in a prepared statement. "Our thoughts and prayers for a full recovery are with the patients...as well as their families and friends."

Camillo also reminded residents continue following the town's safety protocols in light of the two confirmed local cases.

"We cannot reiterate strongly enough that in order to try to contain the spread of this virus," Camillo said, "everyone needs to follow the health safety protocols that continue to be publicized."

Town Response

Earlier this week, Camillo announced that all out of state travel by town employees is restricted, and all previously approved out-of-state travel is rescinded. On Thursday, Camillo provided another update regarding the virus, which included an announcement that the town's St. Patrick's Day parade scheduled for Sunday, March 22, has been canceled to help prevent the spread of the virus.

In a prepared statement, Camillo said he and town staff are maintaining normal operations as much as possible as they continue to monitor the situation. The town has also activated the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and is "in a monitoring phase," Camillo said.

In addition to the "routine, thorough" cleaning practices implemented in town buildings cleaned by the Building Construction and Maintenance (BC&M) Division of the Department of Public Works, including Town Hall, building common areas are receiving special attention, Camillo said.

This includes bathrooms, elevators, hallway doors and conference rooms, and disinfection is part of BC&M's routine cleaning process, Camillo said.

Camillo also said the town is consolidating all communication regarding the virus to greenwichct.gov/covid19, and encouraged all residents sign-up for the 'Notify Me' function.

Across the State

COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that's a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past.

See also: Coronavirus Greenwich: St. Patrick's Day Parade Cancelled

• Coronavirus Greenwich: Public Schools Closed Through Next Week
• Coronavirus Greenwich: Hospital Changes Visitation Policy
• Coronavirus Greenwich: Libraries Closed Until Further Notice
• Coronavirus CT: All Girl Scouts Events Suspended

On Sunday, a Wilton resident tested positive for the virus. The second Connecticut resident to test positive is a Bethlehem woman who is a heath care worker at Bridgeport Hospital, officials said.

On Wednesday, state officials announced that an elderly man from New Canaan tested positive for the virus. They also issued a stern warning that the number of cases is expected to significantly increase over the next week.

On Thursday, Greenwich Hospital revealed a New York resident who received treatment in the hospital's emergency department this week has tested positive for the virus. That same day, city officials announced a Stamford resident who recently returned from international travel had tested positive for the virus and was preemptively isolated at Stamford Hospital.

Later on Thursday, a person in Stratford became the fifth Connecticut resident to be diagnosed with the virus. The news came after officials announced earlier in the week that a Wilcoxson Elementary School student had been exposed to the virus and become ill.

On Friday, town officials announced the first confirmed case of the virus discovered in Westport. The two hospital employees are both New York residents and work at Danbury, Norwalk and Bridgeport hospitals.

During a press conference held late Friday afternoon, state officials announced the number of confirmed cases in Connecticut had hit 11, which included the two Greenwich cases. The other new cases are in Bethlehem, Darien and Westport, state Epidemiologist Dr. Matthew Cartter said during the press conference.