Greenwich 'Making Progress' On Coronavirus Vaccination Rates

GREENWICH, CT — First Selectman Fred Camillo said Greenwich is "making progress" on its coronavirus vaccination rates even as the total number of cases of the virus in town continues to increase this week.

During a press update Wednesday afternoon, Camillo said there have been a total of 3,400 cases of the virus in town as of Feb. 2, an increase of 175 cases since last week.

The total number of active cases in town, however, stands at 175 this week, a decrease of 14 from last week, Camillo said. Another resident also died this past week as a result of the virus, bringing the total number to 80. (To sign up for Greenwich breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

Greenwich Hospital had 22 patients who tested positive for the virus in-house as of Wednesday morning, according to the hospital's president, Diane Kelly. Of those patients, five are in the facility's Intensive Care Unit and on ventilators.

"I think that's important just to remind everyone this is not a virus for the faint of heart," Kelly said. "This is still a very serious situation."

On a positive note, the hospital has also discharged 1,119 coronavirus patients in total as of Wednesday, according to Kelly.

"We also want to remind everybody that their part is extremely important," Kelly said, "and their part is social distancing, wearing their masks, washing their hands and, when it's their turn, to please get vaccinated."

Camillo said coronavirus vaccinations have been going "very well" on a town level thus far.

"I have not received any complaints," Camillo said. "The people that have reached out have been very satisfied, which is great to hear. That goes for both the Greenwich Hospital [vaccination] site and our town public health department here at Town Hall. [Everyone's] very pleased so far."

Kelly noted the vaccination clinic at Brunswick School was up and running Wednesday after being closed Monday and Tuesday due to the large winter storm that passed through town earlier this week. The clinic, which was originally scheduled to run Monday-Wednesday this week, will now operate Wednesday-Friday, Kelly said.

"People were very understanding," Kelly said. "This is the age [group] of 75 and older, so nobody was really excited about going out in the storm, so it went well."

Though vaccinations in town have been going well thus far, Kelly also emphasized that the virus is still nothing to take lightly.

"This is still a very serious virus with very serious consequences," Kelly said. "We don't know who's going to have those serious consequences, so it's important that people keep their guard up, keep using the things that have allowed them to see a lowering of the numbers and making sure that everybody consider vaccination. That's the only way we are going to see us turn the corner on this."