Latest Ridgefield Coronavirus Updates: 5th Death Reported

RIDGEFIELD, CT — A fifth death from the new coronavirus has been reported in Town, according to First Selectman Rudy Marconi. The deceased had been a resident at Ridgefield Crossings.

Health Director Ed Briggs has confirmed 58 active cases of the new coronavirus in Ridgefield, ranging in age from 12-89.

The current number of tests underway indicate that the number of active cases will continue to rise significantly, according to an official from the Town's Office of Emergency Management.

The OEM is requesting that anyone who comes in from New York City self-quarantine for 14 days before entering any public area in Ridgefield.

Ridgefield officials have taken several steps to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. All recreation areas including basketball, tennis, pickle ball and paddle courts are closed. The dog park and all playgrounds are closed. The high school track is available for walking and jogging by individuals practicing social distancing; no group jogging is allowed.

The Ridgefield Golf Course remains closed, "until we can be assured that it can be managed without encouraging groups to congregate," according to a press release from the OEM. "We have also had two positive cases there and while two weeks have passed since the diagnosis, we are acting out of an abundance of caution." The golf course is open for walking or hiking, only if social distancing is practiced.

The governor has declared a "Stay Safe, Stay Home" program. All non-life-sustaining businesses in Connecticut have been closed, and Lamont has asked Connecticut residents to limit social gatherings to just five people. He has placed additional restrictions on retail operations:

• Restaurant payment and pickup operations are limited to the entrance of customers or third party delivery personnel into locations to the minimum extent necessary to pick up and/or pay for orders, use touchless payment systems, and require remote ordering and payment.
• Retail operations that have been allowed to remain open and permit customers inside are required to take appropriate and reasonable measures to ensure customers maintain six feet distance between each other, and manage resulting lines to maintain such distance while people wait to enter. Employers may not require employees to place items in customers' reusable bags, and the tax on single-use checkout has been suspended.
• All firearm transactions must be conducted by appointment only.

The State has announced it has suspended accepting applications for the Connecticut Recovery Bridge Loan Program. Over 4,000 applications have been received, and the funding has been doubled to $50 million. Any business that did not file prior to the deadline may consider the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan Assistance Program.

Ridgefield Responds, a charity under the nonprofit Friends of Ridgefield, is now taking donations that will be used towards Ridgefield's recovery efforts and will be used for those unemployed or laid off due to COVID-19 for help with rents and mortgages. Contributions may be sent to: Friends of Ridgefield –Ridgefield Responds, 400 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT 06877. Be sure to notify employers who sponsor matching contributions.

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The Ridgefield Fire and Public Works departments are working as usual. Town buildings are closed to the public. Ridgefield Public Schools are closed until at least April 20, but distance learning continues online. Teachers are available in their "virtual classrooms" from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday for the duration of the closing.

Police are modifying their response to non-investigative type complaints. The types of complaints that officers will take over the phone are those that do not require an officer to be present. If it is determined that an officer is needed to respond to an incident, they will keep a safe distance away from the public as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All fingerprinting, child safety seat installations, and unwanted medication drop off has been suspended until further notice.

The Ridgefield Library is temporarily closed. The library has online resources, including downloadable books, audiobooks, streaming video and music, language learning, and research databases available through its website.

Residents are encouraged to sign up to receive coronavirus messages on the Connecticut Alert website. Those without an email address may use noemail@ridgefield.org.