Greenwich Officials Continue To Monitor Uptick In COVID-19 Cases

GREENWICH, CT — With neighboring municipalities like Stamford instituting a mask mandate at all businesses and public places, the Town of Greenwich has yet to commit to a change in policy.

First Selectman Fred Camillo said in his weekly COVID-19 news briefing on Wednesday that town officials are monitoring the situation on a daily basis, and will adjust quickly if need be. Currently in Greenwich, masks are mandatory at Town Hall. Gov. Ned Lamont has given authority to local leaders to determine mask mandates.

"Other towns and cities that have higher numbers have gone as far as to require masks in all public spots and businesses. I have not made that decision yet, but we're monitoring everything and we hope we don't have to do it," Camillo said. "Certainly we're keeping an eye on everything and we'll get the numbers everyday and hopefully everybody will stay safe and get us through this period."

As of Wednesday in Greenwich, there were 55 active COVID-19 cases. Greenwich Hospital President Diane Kelly said there were six positive patients being treated in-house, with one in the Intensive Care Unit. Of the six patients, five are unvaccinated, Kelly pointed out.

The Yale New Haven Health System as a whole is seeing an increase in patients. As of Wednesday, there were 78 positive patients being treated throughout the system; 63 of them are unvaccinated. Twenty-two patients are in the ICU, with 11 on mechanical ventilators, Kelly said.

"We continue to have strong evidence that vaccination is the way to protect oneself from this," she added. "We're definitely urging people to please get their vaccine."

However, Kelly said Greenwich Hospital has adjusted visitation hours based on the prevalence of positive cases.

One visitor per day is allowed for a non-COVID-19 patient from 2-8 p.m. Exceptions are being made for maternity, pediatrics and those who need a support person. One visitor is still allowed to accompany Emergency Department patients and stay with them while in the ED.

No visitors under the age of 18 are allowed at this point. Medical grade masks need to be worn for the duration of the visit. The hospital will provide masks if needed.

Camillo said he will keep an eye on hospitalizations as he weighs changes in policy.

"We don't want a situation like in other states where they're asking the federal government for ventilators. We're nowhere near that, and we want to stay ahead of that," Camillo said, pointing to the town's roughly 70 percent vaccination rate.

The much-anticipated Greenwich Town Party and Puttin' On The Dog events are scheduled for September, and Camillo said he's been in contact with the heads of both outdoor events.

"It's hard to predict what's around the corner. We have an idea that in September when everyone's back here and it's getting a little chillier that we may see a spike in cases, and we'll adjust accordingly," Camillo said. "Our goal is not to cancel and not to limit capacity but to have these events go on in a safe manner. That's what we've been doing all along and that's what we'll continue to do. Until we're completely on the other side of this, we'll just continue to monitor it."