Town ready for COVID vaccinations to begin
Officials continue to urge care as cases climb
On the cusp of the arrival of a vaccine, offi- cials in Greenwich and Stamford are urging residents to continue to take steps to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
In Greenwich, First Selectman Fred Camillo in his weekly e-blast Friday said 1,905 town residents have tested positive since the pandemic began in March. There are 112 active cases in town, up from 98 on Wednesday, and Camillo said the town is now averaging 107 new COVID-19 cases a week.
“Contact tracing by our Health Department staff indicates that the disease is spreading through households and then into the community,” he said. “We cannot take a break from following CDC protocols even in our own homes, especially with the Christmas and New Year’s holidays on the horizon. We must be vigilant in washing hands, sanitizing surfaces frequently and maintaining social distance. Whether indoors or outside, wearing a face mask is the primary method of preventing the spread via airborne respiratory droplets.”
“We expect to get a shipment of the vaccine next week. Greater quantities of the vaccine will arrive in the following weeks. We are in the process of identifying hospital staff who are eligible to receive the vaccine given the federal/state guidelines.” Magaly Olivero, Greenwich Hospital’s public relations coordinator
Of the 26 active cases in the Greenwich Public Schools, 20 can be traced to nonschool activities or family exposure, Camillo said.
Greenwich Hospital was treating 38 patients with the coronavirus on Friday, an increase from 34 on Wednesday. Two patients were in the intensive care unit, officials from the hospital said.
At Stamford Hospital, 39 patients were under treatment for the virus, with five in the ICU, said Michael Parry, head of infectious diseases. The hospital has been treating 20 and 30 patients a day with coronavirus, but it has fewer patients in the ICU now than in the first wave in the spring, he said.
The increases come as the state is preparing for vaccine distribution to begin as early as next week.
Greenwich Hospital said it planned to vaccinate its frontline health care workers first and said it has the freezer capacity to store the vaccine.
Magaly Olivero, Greenwich Hospital’s public relations coordinator, said talks are ongoing between the state and Yale New Haven Health System, of which Greenwich Hospital is a part.
“We expect to get a shipment of the vaccine next week,” Olivero said Friday. “Greater quantities of the vaccine will arrive in the following weeks. We are in the process of identifying hospital staff who are eligible to receive the vaccine given the federal/state guidelines.”
The town of Greenwich will receive doses of the vaccine in 2021 and is now making distributions plans, town Director of Health Caroline Baisley said last week. It has the freezer capacity and the trained staff needed.
In Stamford, Barry said they also expect the first doses of the vaccine to arrive next week. First in line will be Stamford Hospital staff, followed by other health care workers in the city, including EMS workers, local physicians, dentists and others.
“We’ve obviously been working with the state pretty intently for the last four to six weeks,” Barry said. Stamford Hospital officials have been planning for the last two to three weeks. “We’re going to be vaccinating based upon on the Department of Health requirement that we vaccinate our staff and health care workers,” he said.
Two vaccination spots will be set up in the city: on Stamford Hospital’s main campus where the old building used to be and the Tully Health Center on Strawberry Hill Avenue.
The city will use the Vaccine Administration Management System software program from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to schedule vaccines.
The state is uploading its rosters of health care workers and sending emails to those identified as priorities for the vaccine.
Barry said he expected broader vaccination availability in Stamford in the early part of next year.