In her nightly update for Monday, April 13, to residents about Wilton’s response to the COVID-19 health crisis, First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice looked for–and found–some GOOD news.
- Wilton Chief of Police John Lynch is now the proud grandfather of Kiera Grey Lynch, born Monday at 3:45 p.m., despite the rain, the wind and the coronavirus! Vanderslice congratulated Chief Lynch and Kiera’s parents, John and Kate Lynch.
- Vanderslice said that officials are putting on hold efforts to set up Miller-Driscoll School as patient housing because the need–thankfully–hasn’t materialized. “The demand for isolation and/or patient housing is such that we have put a hold on any further efforts to ready Miller-Driscoll for patients,” she wrote. The school will continue as the third priority location, but for the time being, it will remain inactive.
- As a result, the likelihood of needing to use Comstock Community Center, Wilton’s fourth priority location, has diminished enough that the Wilton Food Pantry will re-open in the next few days, a move that Vanderslice called “cautious good news.” The only people who will have access, however, will be Social Services Director Sarah Heath and clients who use the food pantry. Residents should continue to drop off donations at the shed in the parking lot in front of Police Headquarters. (As a side note, Vanderslice mentioned that the shed had been temporarily moved on Monday due to the high winds, but it will be put back Tuesday.)
Vanderslice reiterated that the decisions should not be seen as a relaxing of requirements. “Cases are still increasing in Wilton and Fairfield County. It is still critical to continue to behave as if you have the virus and as if those around you do as well,” she reminded.
She offered the test/case data as another reminder: “Today [the] CT Department of Public Health reports 13,381 laboratory-confirmed statewide cases with 6,007 or 45% in Fairfield County and 95 in Wilton. Approximately 3.7% of total reported cases have not yet been assigned to a municipality. Deaths have risen to 602, with 262 in Fairfield County. The number of cases currently hospitalized increased to 1,760 with an increase of 21 to 710 in Fairfield County. Stamford experienced a 15% increase in cases or 197 additional cases, bringing its total cases to 1,486 or 1.14% of their population. Wilton case total equals .51% of our population.
What Makes Wilton Special
Vanderslice lauded the recent efforts of town residents in the face of the crisis. “The ability of Wiltonians to look beyond themselves at this time, as demonstrated by support for Wilton seniors, meals, medical supplies and handmade supplies provided to emergency responders and medical personnel and donations to the Food Pantry, which on Sunday opened with its largest quantity of items since the emergency, is uplifting and a reminder of what makes Wilton special,” she wrote.
I was in town center today to pick something up at hardware store and was shocked to see how many people (and in particular seniors) that were NOT WEARING FACE MASKS. I think it is important for our 1st Selectman to make a strong statement supporting the use of face masks. They are now the “new normal” until further notice. They protect users and others. Get with it!