Norwalk Reports 1st New Coronavirus-Related Death In 3-Plus Weeks

NORWALK, CT — Norwalk reported its first new coronavirus-related death in more than three on Friday, bringing the number of residents who have died of complications from COVID-19 to 146, according to Mayor Harry Rilling.

Additionally, there was one new positive coronavirus case reported in Norwalk Friday, bringing the total of confirmed cases to 2,157.

"I am sorry to report that we have lost another Norwalk resident to this virus," Rilling said. "My thoughts and prayers are with this person's family during this difficult time. COVID-19 is a horrible virus and its effects are devastating."

Statewide as of Thursday, 118 new coronavirus cases were reported out of more than 12,000 tests, meaning Connecticut's rate of infection is below 1 percent, according to state health officials. On Thursday, the state also reported one new coronavirus-related death, which brought Connecticut's total to 4,458.

Forty-seven Connecticut residents are hospitalized with the virus, a decrease by two patients.

There have been more than 51,400 confirmed coronavirus cases statewide since the beginning of the pandemic, and more than 1 million residents have been tested.

"We had gone more than three weeks without a Norwalk resident passing away from COVID-19, and today's news is a sobering reminder that while the reported cases are slowing, those who do become infected run the risk of becoming seriously ill and dying," Rilling said. "Let us not forget all of the effort it has taken to get to this point over the last five months, and I ask that we all continue to follow the health guidelines to keep one another safe."

This is from Rilling's Friday announcement:

• Earlier this week, school principals held virtual Town Halls for families and students about each particular school’s reopening plans. Members of the public who missed any of the meetings can view the recordings and presentations at norwalkps.org.
• The City will be doing a citywide storm cleanup to remove fallen debris from Tropical Storm Isaias on Monday, August 31. All debris must be neatly stacked curbside by 7 a.m. as trucks will pass by each street once. Leaf bags will not be collected. More information can be found at norwalkct.org.
• The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) continues to meet with the State Department of Health and ReOpen Connecticut Rules Committee about fall sports. CIAC announced today that meetings would continue throughout the weekend, and the start of all fall sports would be delayed until at least August 29. More details are expected early next week.
• The Connecticut Department of Public Health and State Department of Education have developed a framework and key metrics based on a combination considerations to guide local district decision-making on the use of remote versus in-person learning for the fall. Weekly updates are expected by county for low, moderate, and high case categories. More information is available at ct.gov.

Members of the public are encouraged to sign-up for the City's CodeRED Emergency Alert Notification System at norwalkct.org/codered. Updates on City services, hours, and community resources will be routinely published at norwalkct.org/citynews. The latest health updates can be found at norwalkct.org/coronavirus.