Westport Coronavirus: 42 Confirmed Cases, First Selectman Says

WESTPORT, CT — The number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in Westport has more than doubled over the past couple of days.

"Today, the Westport Weston Health District (WWHD) shared with my office that as of this afternoon, the number of positive tests known by the WWHD is 42," First Selectman Jim Marpe said in a statement on Thursday afternoon. "This number is sure to rise as test results are reported. COVID-19 is in the community and we can't stress enough the importance of self-isolation, social distancing, avoiding gatherings and practicing good hygiene."

On March 16, Marpe announced that 20 people in Westport had tested positive for the virus.

"COVID19's spread is no longer about parties, schools, religious institutions, employment, or specific persons," said Mark Cooper, director of the Westport Weston Health District, in a statement on March 17. "Residents should assume that COVID19 is everywhere and that anyone could have it. It has been shown that some people can have the virus with no symptoms at all. The number of COVID19 cases in Westport and the State of Connecticut are going up and they will continue to increase."

Westport has been one of the hardest hit communities in the state with the virus, primarily due to a private party on March 5, where a South African man in attendance later discovered that he had COVID-19. He was diagnosed after returning to his country.

Dozens of people attended the party, including a Stamford woman who was infected, who now appears on one of the latest covers of "Time" magazine.

Cheryl Chutter, 51, appears on one of six international covers the magazine published for its coronavirus issue. In the cover photograph she is looking through a window while wearing a mask.

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Obtaining test kits has been difficult for Westport and communities throughout the state and country, but the problem is exacerbated because "substantially more" people had been at the party beyond the initially reported 40, and those numbers "overwhelmed" the district's analysis efforts, Cooper told the website 06880.

"We are discovering we have way too many people that need to be tested and not enough staff or resources to test everyone," said Louis D'Onofrio, the health district's director of Clinical Care, on the district's website. "The Director of Health, Mark Cooper, has been working with the local first selectmen to strategize new ideas to test more people. At the Health District, we understand the importance of testing, as this allows us to identify viral spread in order to help containment and to slow down transmission. We will continue to support our town in any way possible, which includes figuring ways to introduce more testing options. In the meantime, people can and should be tested at local hospitals. Local hospitals are performing testing and their schedules and scheduling contact information can be found on their websites."

Norwalk Hospital has established a drive-thru test collection site, and so has New Canaan, though the New Canaan site — which starts on Friday — is only available to residents of that town at this time.

As of Thursday afternoon, the number of people in Connecticut who have tested positive for COVID-19 had soared to 159, up from 96 a day ago, and two deaths. A third death in the state, the second from New Canaan, was reported on Thursday evening by Gov. Ned Lamont.

Greenwich Hospital alone reported 44 patients have tested positive for COVID-19.

Marpe said that Westport has also established another driver-thru testing system that starts next week.

"The WWHD has also arranged in-car testing with an area medical practice (Murphy Medical Associates) to take place in the parking lot at Westport's Bedford Middle School (88 North Avenue)," Marpe said. "Pre-registration will be required. Visit www.coronatestct.com or call 203-658-6051 to learn more and begin the screening process."

Testing will run from 8:30 a.m. to noon on each of the following days, March 24, March 31 and April 7.

Below is Marpe's March 19 announcement:

In this time of uncertainty, I want to assure Westporters that our public health and public safety officials are working diligently to provide accurate and essential information to you on a daily basis, and to keep everyone as safe as possible. We are all in this together and we must respond as a civil community.

This afternoon, Governor Lamont indicated his reluctance to authorize a complete Statewide shutdown, and I agree with his assessment, keeping in mind that the situation is very fluid and may change. In the meantime, it is nevertheless imperative that every individual and business owner take this crisis seriously and do everything possible to maintain social distancing and minimize social interactions. Parents should also remind their children to do the same.

Today, the Westport Weston Health District (WWHD) shared with my office that as of this afternoon, the number of positive tests known by the WWHD is 42. This number is sure to rise as test results are reported. COVID-19 is in the community and we can’t stress enough the importance of self-isolation, social distancing, avoiding gatherings and practicing good hygiene.

The WWHD has also arranged in-car testing with an area medical practice (Murphy Medical Associates) to take place in the parking lot at Westport’s Bedford Middle School (88 North Avenue). Pre-registration will be required. Visit www.coronatestct.com or call 203-658-6051 to learn more and begin the screening process. Testing will occur on the following dates:

Tuesday, March 24, 2020
8:30AM – 12:00PM

Tuesday March 31, 2020
8:30AM to 12:00PM

Tuesday, April 7, 2020
8:30AM – 12:00PM

Residents are reminded that if you feel symptoms of COVID-19, call your physician for a test referral. Regardless if you are tested or not, it is imperative that you stay home and self-isolate.