Stamford COVID-19 Trend-Lines Coming Down 'Gently': Mayor Martin

STAMFORD, CT — Mayor David Martin held his biweekly COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday night, and said trend-lines are moving in the right direction, albeit slowly. He also urged residents to be careful this holiday season during gatherings with friends and family.

Latest Numbers

As of Tuesday, Stamford was experiencing 5.4 new COVID-19 cases per day on a seven day average. A year ago at this time, there were roughly 53 cases per day.

"The overall trend-lines for Stamford continue to be down. They're not crashing down, but they are coming down gently. We're way below where we were a year ago," Martin said. "We still, though, haven't gotten to where we were just a few months ago. We continue to push up our vaccination rates throughout the city, and we're really hopeful that the parents of 5-11 year olds will take their children in [to get vaccinated]."

Martin said he was nervous about a potential uptick in cases because the mask mandate in Stamford was lifted a few weeks ago.

"If taking that mandate off has a negative impact, we'll begin to see this line level off and maybe even rising," Martin said, referring to daily case rates. "We'll watch that carefully. I would hate to have to reimpose this mandate, particularly as we get to the holidays."

At Stamford Hospital as of Nov. 9, there were six COVID-19 patients being treated, up from four two weeks ago. As of Tuesday, there was one patient being treated in the Intensive Care Unit.

"It's nice that it's much lower than where it was in October and certainly a year ago, but we'd obviously like to see those numbers come down to zero," Martin said.

In Stamford Public Schools, the weekly decline in new cases has plateaued in recent weeks at 10, and then reversed in the past few days, according to Acting Stamford Health Director, Jody Bishop-Pullan.

Bishop-Pullan said it's unclear if this is a statistical anomaly, or if colder weather and Halloween gatherings played a factor.

Vaccinations

On the vaccination front, 78.4 percent of the entire Stamford population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. That number translates to bout 90 percent of the eligible population, using post-census numbers, Martin said.

About 83 percent of all city employees have reported being vaccinated, Martin said, with managers, administrators, law department, dental, pay plan and city officials, and school crossing guards, leading the way at just over 95 percent.

The Stamford Police Department remains last at just over the 60 percent mark.

"We strongly are encouraging them to [get vaccinated]. If they don't do that, then they should be getting a weekly test. We've been having some concerns represented by the union, and we have some disagreements there," Martin said.

"Fundamentally I believe it is the right of the employer to make certain that the workplace is safe for everybody, and that can only really be assured if we have a very high vaccination rate. And if not vaccinated, then a weekly test."

The Rev. Dr. Robert Jackson of Bethel AME Church in Stamford spoke Tuesday about getting the word out about vaccinations, especially for the holiday season.

A COVID-19 youth vaccine clinic for children ages 5 to 11 will be held on Nov. 22 from 3 to 8 p.m. at the church at 150 Fairfield Ave. Walk-ins are accepted, no appointment is needed.

Also on Tuesday, Dr. Asha Shah, an infectious disease expert at Stamford Health, spoke about vaccinating young children.

"COVID can tend to be milder in children, but it can also make children very sick and lead to hospitalizations. In severe cases, it can actually lead to death," Shah said.

For a complete list on where to find booster shots and initial vaccine doses in and around Stamford, click here.

To watch Shah's full presentation, click here.

Martin's next, and likely final COVID-19 update before he leaves office, will take place on Nov. 23. He urged residents to be careful as the holiday season kicks into full gear.

"We're coming up to the holidays. A year ago, we didn't have the vaccines. Someone that I knew through my job as mayor, he was a real family man, and his whole family got together for Thanksgiving [last year], and within about 10 days, most of the family had COVID and he passed away a couple of weeks later," Martin said. "You have to remain careful."