During his weekly press conference with Greenwich Hospital on Wednesday, First Selectman Fred Camillo said the total positive cases in town since the beginning of the pandemic had reached 5,112, plus just seven from a week earlier.
• Total active cases was 17, down 3 from 20 last week.
• There were no new deaths. The death toll has remained steady at 89 for several weeks.
• Total cases per 100,000 is 2.3, which was down 2.3.
“It’s been cut in half,” Camillo said.
Total vaccines administered to all age groups was 62.1% (at least one dose).
Of those who are age 62+, a total of 92.88% have been vaccinated.
Dana Marnane from Greenwich Hospital shared more good news.
“We are treating just one Covid-positive patient,” she said. “That person is not in the ICU. We continue to trend down throughout our health system. Today we have 44 positive patients across five hospitals. Last week we were at 56.”
Ms Marnane said Greenwich Hospital was nevertheless very busy and at 90% capacity.
Camillo said people were “very, very happy with the diminished restrictions.”
Still, he said he continues to observe people on the sidewalks wearing masks.
“That’s a good thing,” he said. “It tells me people are still being cautious.”
“Outside I’m not wearing (a mask) unless I’m close to somebody and they’re concerned. I’m fully vaccinated, and outside I am fully confident not to wear the mask.”
Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo
“People are very relieved and excited,” Marnane said. “Unfortunately we have a lot of patients. So the ICU – while it is not full with Covid patients – is still busy, as are a lot of our other units. We are probably at over 90% capacity.”
She added that people who put off care during the pandemic were now more comfortable coming in for care.
“We are seeing high volumes throughout most of our hospitals in the health system,” she said.
Marnane said she hoped that people who were not vaccinated would continue to wear masks.
“We have stopped administering first doses at Brunswick school,” she said, adding that people were still being scheduled with appointments for second doses.
“But,” she said. “We do anticipate closing Brunswick on June 13. We are closing mass vaccination sites across the health system.”
With the mass vaccination sites closing, there will be a transition to primary care physicians.
As for the relaxing of Covid rules across Connecticut on May 19, Camillo said that over the Memorial Day weekend he hoped people would keep a mask in their pocket in case they need them.
As for local businesses, he said they were in the position to set their own mask policies.
“For businesses, it has been left up to them how they want to enforce and set their own policies,” Camillo said. “Just bring a mask with you, not only for your own self interest if you want to go somewhere inside where they’re required, but just out of respect for your neighbors who may not be vaccinated, or may not be comfortable.”
As for the town’s July 4 fireworks, Camillo said while other towns had canceled their fireworks, Greenwich was planning fireworks at one site: Tod’s Point.
In the past the town has held fireworks at both Binney Park and Tod’s Point.
“We want people to enjoy fireworks, but having two sites so close to each other on the same night is a little hard to control. We’re going to offer some normalcy, but it will be a policy that is adjusted.”
He said details were being finalized, and an announcement was forthcoming.