Camillo Provides Update On Coronavirus, Vaccinations In Greenwich

GREENWICH, CT — The number of active cases of the coronavirus continued to decline in Greenwich this past week as more residents receive vaccines, according to First Selectman Fred Camillo.

During a press update Wednesday afternoon, Camillo said there were 135 active cases of the virus in town as of Tuesday, which is a decrease of five from the previous week.

Though he referred to the declining number as "mostly positive news," he also noted the total number of cases in Greenwich rose to 4,036 as of Tuesday, an increase of 17 from the previous week. (To sign up for Greenwich breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

Another Greenwich resident also died within the past week as a result of the virus, bringing the total number to 82, Camillo said.

"As you can see with the few more positive cases," Camillo said during the press update, "we're still not out of the woods."

Greenwich Hospital president Diane Kelly said the hospital had 21 patients in-house who have tested positive for virus as of Wednesday morning. Of those patients, four are in the facility's intensive care unit, Kelly said.

"I think this time last week we had either 28 or 30 [coronavirus] patients," Kelly said during the press update, "so having it be 21 today, we definitely are starting to feel that decline."

Kelly also noted the hospital had already seen a couple days during the last month where the number of patients decreased to 21 then increased again shortly after, however she is "hoping for the best."

According to Kelly, the Yale New Haven Health System recently received its first vials of the new single-dose Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine. Once Greenwich Hospital receives the new vaccine, eligible residents who schedule a vaccination appointment online will be able to see what day different vaccines are going to be delivered.

Kelly said she was encouraging her own family not to pick and choose which vaccine they will receive, but rather to take the first appointment available to them for any of the three vaccines: Pfizer, Moderna or J&J.

"I'm telling my husband that when it's his time, and my adult children the same thing when it's their time," Kelly said. "Take the first [vaccine] available. I don't care the name of the dose."

She also encouraged any residents having issues with the online appointment system to "stick with it" and be persistent, trying several times each day to get an appointment if necessary.

Camillo said he was able to schedule an appointment to receive the vaccine for later this month.

He also took a moment to reflect on the past year as the town enters the month of March, and noted there was a lot of "fear" and "mystery" concerning the virus around this time last year.

"We were just preparing, not only for this [virus] but how are we going to have meetings," Camillo said. "Do we have to shut down, and for how long? So now, obviously, we know how to do all that, so we know the drills."

Camillo said he was encouraged by the declining number of active cases of the virus in town this week and the lower number of patients with the virus at Greenwich Hospital, however he urged residents not to relax and remain cautious as the vaccines continue to roll out.

"It's mostly very good, so it's a very different feel from last year, but we'll try to close the game," Camillo said. "We don't want to lose the lead in the late inning, so we have to keep focused as if we're back in April, back in late March [2020]. If you go at it that way, you'll be fine and we'll all be fine, and we'll get there sooner rather than later."