Greenwich To Wind Down Vaccination Sites As Cases Drop

GREENWICH, CT — With vaccination rates rising and COVID cases dropping, the Town of Greenwich will be winding down mass vaccination sites in the coming weeks.

Dana Marnane, director of public relations for Greenwich Hospital, said on Wednesday during the Town's weekly coronavirus briefing that the Brunswick School vaccine clinic on King Street is no longer accepting appointments for a first dose. Only those with scheduled appointments for a second dose will be accepted before the site closes on June 13.

Marnane said other large sites around the state run by Yale New Haven Health will be closing soon as well. Greenwich Hospital will transition vaccinations to primary care providers.

The Greenwich Health Department clinic at Town Hall will begin to close down, and the clinic at the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center will close early next month.

The Latest Numbers

At Greenwich Hospital, there was just one COVID patient being treated as of Wednesday, with zero patients in the Intensive Care Unit. A similar trend was seen across Yale New Haven Health, as 44 COVID patients were being treated, down from 56 reported last week.

Marnane said that while the number of COVID patients is way down, the hospital is still very busy. During the pandemic, many people were hesitant about seeking medical treatment at hospitals, but they're more willing now as the pandemic wanes.

"People are very relieved and excited. Unfortunately we still have a lot of patients. While the ICU is not full of COVID patients, it's still very busy, as are a lot of our units," Marnane said. "We're probably at over 90% capacity right now. It's great that we're not seeing the COVID numbers and we're all optimistic that it's going to stay that way."

Camillo gave good news on the latest numbers in Greenwich. As of Wednesday since the pandemic began, 5,112 cases have been reported, plus seven from last week. Active cases are down over the last week from 20 to 17. Total cases per 100,000 have been cut in half over the last week to 2.3.

"We're going in the right direction," Camillo said.

On the vaccination front, just over 62% of all Greenwich residents have received at least one dose, which is up 3.8% from last week. For those over age 65, 92.8% have some level of protection.

First Week Without Restrictions, Memorial Day Ahead

The increase in vaccinations comes on the heels of the first week in which most COVID restrictions have been lifted. Camillo said the week has gone smoothly in Greenwich.

"I think people are both excited, but you can still see they're not totally over to the other side yet as far as being totally confident and carefree about it, which is a good thing. People are very, very happy. I still see some people walking on the sidewalk with masks on, and that's OK. That's not a bad thing. That still tells you people are being cautious."

Camillo urged residents to enjoy Memorial Day Weekend, and to bring a mask with them if they go out to shop, eat at a restaurant, or go to a gathering with people.

"Bring a mask with you, not only for your own self interest, but just out of respect for your neighbors who may not be vaccinated yet or may be uncomfortable," Camillo said. "It's about taking it with you and being cautious, but we also want people to enjoy themselves and get out there and get the sun and fresh air."