Fairfield COVID-19 Updates 4/20

April 20, 2020

Spring Break is over for our students and while they may dread the return to classwork, I know so many of you would love to be able to get back to work. The Governor’s Re-Open CT group is working now, together with the regional group of state leaders, to determine what must be in place before we can begin to get out of our homes and back to work. The Governor expects to have more specific information coming from them in the coming weeks.

So many of you are facing tremendous struggles. Though I cannot make them disappear, I will do whatever I can to ease the burden and provide support. You are not alone during this difficult time. I remain inspired by community members who have led food drives, donated supplies, delivered meals and more. In the midst of the struggles, we continue to see many amazing acts of kindness and generosity. Again this week, I wanted to remind you of some of the ways you can help.

How to Help

  • Staying Home is still #1. As we start to see the number of hospitalizations declining, we need you to stay home and practice safe social distancing.
  • Thank you so much to the amazing volunteers who have been coordinating weekly food drives here in Fairfield for Operation Hope. With supply levels strong for the moment, there is a need for operational funding, which is always the hardest money to raise. You can donate here.
  • Create or Join a Virtual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Team. Guys, you can don your heels, take a photo and share it on your social media. We’d love to see it! To date the Center has raised $13,500 of their $40,000 goal. Help them get all the way.
  • Support the Town of Fairfield’s COVID Relief fund. This fund will supply one time assistance to residents impacted by COVID.
  • Volunteer to Help. The COVID-19 outbreak has a wide-ranging impact on our citizens and our communities – and that means we need volunteers with a wide range of skill sets to step forward and serve. See what types of volunteers the state needs here.
  • Donate Plasma – if you are a fully recovered COVID patient, your blood may be able to help coronavirus patients. Click here to learn more about your eligibility.

Update on Masks and Social Distancing

Beginning tonight at 8 p.m., cloth face coverings or a higher level of protection are required in public wherever close contact is unavoidable.

  • Any person in a public place in Connecticut who is unable to or does not maintain a safe social distance of approximately six feet from every other person shall cover their mouth and nose with a mask or cloth face-covering
  • Individuals shall use a mask or cloth face covering when using the services of any taxi, car, livery, ride-sharing or similar service or means of mass public transit, or while within any semi-enclosed transit stop or waiting area
  • The commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development will be required to update the previously issued Safe Workplace rules and Safe Store rules
  • Nothing in this order shall require the use of a mask or cloth face covering by anyone for whom doing so would be contrary to his or her health or safety because of a medical condition, anyone under the age of 2 years, or by an older child if the parent, guardian or person responsible for the child is unable to place the mask safely on the child’s face
  • If a person declines to wear a mask or face covering because of a medical condition as described above, such person shall not be required to produce medical documentation verifying the stated condition
  • For another perspective on wearing a mask, check out CT Post reporter Ken Dixon’s article
A more detailed look at requirements can be found in Governor Lamont's 29th executive order.
The New York Times also offers great tips, and answers many of your questions about why it's important to wear a mask. Read the full article here.

How We Feel Project

This afternoon, the Governor announced a partnership with the How We Feel Project. The state is encouraging CT residents to “donate your data and help scientists track the virus.” Software developers and researchers from universities including MIT, Harvard, Stanford, the University of Maryland, and Penn have worked together to provide a free app to track symptoms.

The app will collect zip codes and symptoms not personal information. It will provide aggregated data to researchers and policy makers, including the CT Department of Public Health, to help guide decision making and communication. The official partnership, offered at no cost to the state, will need a critical mass in each area in order to be able to provide helpful data.

According to Dr. Feng Zhang of MIT, there are approximately 3,500 residents in CT and 300,000 nationwide who have signed on to the app and they have already been able to glean useful data. Participation is completely voluntary. Android and iPhone users can download the app, but you can also sign up via the website.

Apps like How We Feel, increased testing capacity, widespread use of thermometers and contact tracing are all ways that we will move towards re-opening our state and being able to be back together. As the state works to increase capacity in all of the areas, we need to continue to stay home and stop the spread of this virus.