Winsted Town Hall shifts services to appointment-only

WINSTED — Town Hall will now be open on an appointment-only basis due to the rising COVID-19 positivity and hospitalization rates, according to a release from the town manager.

“Residents looking to conduct business in Town Hall will be required to either do so remotely or will be required to schedule an appointment in advance with the department(s) with which they have business,” according to the release.

Positivity rates in Connecticut was just under 24 percent as of Wednesday. The state announced Wednesday a net increase of 114 COVID-19 patients in Connecticut hospitals, for a total of 1,676. Connecticut doctors have said they expect the number of COVID patients in Connecticut hospitals to exceed 2020’s peak within the next two weeks.

“This will remain the Town Hall procedure at least until we see three consecutive days below a 20% positivity rate,” Town Manager Joshua Steele Kelly said in the release. “In the event that the positivity rate rises to above 25%, we will discuss further measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”

For the Police, Fire, and Public Works departments, as well as the Senior Center, directors will be given leeway to decide what protocols make most sense for their staff members and people who visit their offices.

“In the event we reach a 25 percent positivity rate, however, we will more closely coordinate increased precautions within each of these facilities to ensure that spread among staff members and residents is kept to as low a rate as possible,” the town manager said in the release.

Masking, quarantining and vaccine policies remain in effect and are strictly enforced, Kelly said.

Emily M. Olson / Hearst Connecticut Media Downtown Winsted.