‘This is serious’
Camillo repeats warnings as city residents continue to gather in groups
GREENWICH — With additional cases of coronavirus diagnosed in town, First Selectman Fred Camillo on Friday repeated his directive to Greenwich residents to practice social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus.
On Friday afternoon, the state reported that 77 people in Greenwich had tested positive for the virus, up from 57 on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, the town Department of Health said that 60 Greenwich residents had been diagnosed with the virus. But town Director of Health Caroline Baisley said it was not immediately clear whether all 77 of those positive tests were town residents or if they lived in nearby towns.
Greenwich Hospital is reporting that 55 patients were hospitalized with the virus, which includes people from all over the region and not just Greenwich.
The hospital said it con
tinues to have enough beds for treating coronavirus patients, who were in several different units. It had earlier canceled all elective procedures to open up rooms for the outbreak.
The Department of Health is monitoring coronavirus patients who are isolated at home as well as close family members of those patients for any symptoms of COVID-19. The health department is also doing “contact tracing” — or monitoring people who may have had close or prolonged contact with someone who has tested positive.
Since the first cases were reported in town two weeks ago, Camillo has taken several steps to push residents to practice social distancing, which is critical to mitigating the spread of the virus. He first closed the town’s civic centers, playgrounds, libraries, Senior Center and other areas. After residents ignored his directive and turned up in crowds at Greenwich Point and Cos Cob Park, Camillo closed down all town beaches and parks.
And as the new weekend begins, Camillo urged residents to practice social distancing when they go outside.
“People should get outside and if you’re a runner, run; if you’re a walker, walk; if you’re a hiker, hike,” he said. “We have 90 miles of sidewalk that are adjacent to our public roads, and we have miles and miles of trails. And if you’re walking through a park, that’s OK. Just walk through it, but do not stop in it. Do not start a pickup game of basketball or soccer. We don’t want people in close proximity.”
With the nice weather Friday, Camillo said he wanted residents to get outside to exercise or to work in their gardens. But he stressed that residents must be careful and not gather in groups, citing a new order from Gov. Ned Lamont to limit crowds to no more than five people.
“This is serious,” Camillo said. “He’s taking this seriously, and we’re taking this seriously. We’re not doing these declarations for the heck of it. This is to keep everybody safe. We can’t stress enough that this is a national public emergency and we want people to practice safe protocols and follow the guidance.”
The first selectman said he recognized the need to get outside.
“We know people are climbing the walls right now,” he said. “I noticed around town people are keeping a distance when they’re walking or jogging, which is great. I think the majority of people are doing the right thing — but we have to stay on top of everyone.”
Those who don’t adhere to the guidelines, “you’re not only putting yourself and your friends and your family at risk, you’re also putting at risk our health care workers and our first responders,” Camillo said.
Anyone who visits town beaches or parks could be subjected to trespassing citations. But Greenwich police Lt. Mark Zuccerella said no citations have been given out since the policy went into effect last Sunday.
Camillo also reminded residents to properly dispose of gloves.
“We’re hearing that they’re ending up on the ground and that’s not who we are,” he said. “We want people to be a little bit more courteous and do the right thing, not only when you’re in the stores but when you leave it. We’re experiencing an uptick in litter.”