Westport Coronavirus: First Confirmed Case

WESTPORT, CT — The first confirmed case of new coronavirus was discovered in Westport late Thursday evening, according to Mark Cooper, director of the Westport Weston Health District.

"This was expected and comes as no surprise," Cooper said in a Friday morning message on the district's website. Details about the person were not disclosed.

The positive test brings the unofficial total of confirmed coronavirus cases in Connecticut to seven, five of which are in Fairfield County, according to health district statistics.

The health district received its first few dozen test kits Wednesday and began testing people Thursday. Additional test kits were ordered and the health district set up a waiting list for future tests.

"This first batch of 40 kits was used for those exposed last week and who have COVID-19 symptoms," Cooper said, referring to a group of people who attended a private party in town on March 5 and are believed to have been exposed to the virus.

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On Thursday, Westport First Selectman Jim Marpe set up an Incident Command Structure in town to manage Westport's response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Westport schools were closed, and Town Hall, the library and the senior center were closed until next week.

"This number of Fairfield County test results will start to increase once the test results become known from those that were collected on Thursday," Cooper said. "It is my understanding that once a nasal swab is sent to the lab, the results should be back in three to five days. The samples collected [Thursday] are being shipped overnight to a private laboratory in California because the State Laboratory is running near or at capacity."

On Thursday, Gov. Ned Lamont issued several emergency executive orders, including waiving requirements for schools and limiting size of crowds in the state to under 250. Schools will not have to log the normally mandated 180 instructional days.

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