Greenwich Sees Slight Uptick In Active Cases Of Coronavirus

GREENWICH, CT — After trending downward for a number of weeks, Greenwich saw a slight uptick this week in the number of active cases of the coronavirus in town, according to First Selectman Fred Camillo.

During a press update Wednesday afternoon, Camillo said the number of active cases rose to 131 this week, an increase of 26 from the previous week, which he noted was "a little concerning."

The total number of cases of the virus in Greenwich thus far stands at 4,331 as of this week, an increase of 112 from the previous week, Camillo said. The number of residents who have died as a result of the virus also increased by one this week, bringing the total to 87, Camillo said.

Camillo said he was unsure what caused the recent uptick in active cases but noted some residents may be falling into a false sense of security as coronavirus vaccinations continue to roll out in town. (To sign up for Greenwich breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

"The warm weather's coming and [residents] keep hearing about all this positive news," Camillo said during the press update. "They keep thinking the fact that so many people are getting vaccinated that the risk has lessened, but until we get to the other side of this and there's herd immunity, we're not."

Camillo used a baseball analogy to describe the situation, in which a player is rounding third base but could still trip on their way to home plate.

"Why would you do that? Why would you get careless at this point? My message to everybody is to keep your eye on the ball," Camillo said. "Keep your guard up and keep your mask on, and get those [vaccination] appointments."

Despite the slight uptick in active cases, Camillo said he was "feeling well" about how things are going at the town vaccination clinics thus far, even as more residents became eligible to sign up for a vaccine on Friday.

"We're getting lots of good feedback...all in all, it's going very well," Camillo said.

Greenwich Hospital spokesperson Dana Marnane said the facility was treating 10 patients in-house who have tested positive for the virus as of Wednesday morning. None of those patients are currently in the hospital's intensive care unit.

"That number still is remaining flat," Marnane said during the press update. "Last week at this time we had 12 patients [in-house], so it's pretty flat."

According to Marnane, the hospital has discharged 1,285 patients to either their home or a rehabilitation facility since the coronavirus crisis began.

Though more residents became eligible to receive vaccines Friday, Marnane said the hospital's vaccination clinics continue to run smoothly and people were still able to get appointments as of Wednesday afternoon.

"I'm hearing no issues so far," Marnane said.

With Easter just around the corner, a holiday where many families typically gather together in groups, Camillo said residents should approach the holiday with caution, similar to last year.

"Last year we were at the beginning of this and it was a little different, but what hasn't changed is we're still in a pandemic," Camillo said. "If you're going to have family over...keep the masks on if you can, keep a distance and wash your hands; just keep [following] the protocols that you've been following the whole time. Certainly we want you to be enjoying your families at Easter and whatever holiday you're celebrating, but just do so smartly, that's all."