A message from our First Selectman regarding COVID-19

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This summer I went swimming

This summer I might have drowned

But I held my breath and I kicked my legs

And I moved my arms around

I moved my arms around

The Swimming Song - Loudon Wainwright III

Summer 2020 is one for the books, that is for sure.  And if ever there was a time when we might have felt like we were drowning it might have been these past seven months.  But we held our breath.  And we kicked our legs.  And we stayed afloat.

It felt good to get outside; we are blessed to live in an area that affords us multiple outdoor activities and spaces.  At the same time, we were able to abide the discomfort and to do what we knew was necessary, those now-familiar amendments to our daily routines that have been essential to the protection of ourselves, and equally important, the protection of our neighbors.

As a result, we have limited the spread of this insidious virus through our community.  Deep River has thus far been successful in keeping our COVID 19 cases low.  But, along came Autumn, and the restlessness that warns of winter’s onset.  Schools have reopened (though in a manner that is jarringly unfamiliar); sidewalk dining grows more a challenge than a pleasure.  Distancing is increasingly difficult as we prepare to move inside.  It is time, once again, for us to update you concerning our changing situation.

We are receiving new information from the State Department of Public Health.

■ The State Department of Public Health has created a new Community Rating System

■ The system classifies towns and cities based on:

        1)  population, and

        2) number of residents testing positive for COVID-19 on  a  two week rolling average.

■ Towns and cities that have increased positive COVID-19 cases are

    designated as YELLOW, ORANGE or RED.

■ The State will make these designations public each Thursday at 5 PM.

■ When a town or city is classified specific actions are taken.

■ This new State rating system does not impact the status of our public  schools.

■ No matter what “color” a town or city is, a different rating scale is

    used by the ALL Superintendents of Schools to make decisions 

   concerning in person learning activities.

■ When a community is classified as YELLOW, ORANGE, or RED there are six (6) categories of activities that are reviewed.  They are: - Department of Public Health Response - Individual Response (That’s YOU!)  - Community Response - Organized Group Activities - Pre K-12 Schools - Business & Sector Rules.

The following link provides a bit more information:

https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus/COVID-19-Data-Tracker

Deep River has had eight (8) new cases reported in the past 14 days.  This is the highest positivity rate yet for Deep River.

On Thursday at 5:00 pm Deep River was placed in the Orange category. The following link informs us what we need to do when Deep River is designated Yellow, Orange, or Red:

https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus/COVID-19-Data-Tracker

As a community Deep River has had amongst the fewest confirmed cases in the state, and the same can be said about Middlesex County.  We have worked hard to achieve that statistic.  We need to continue that work.  We need to exercise caution.  Despite our efforts, we have not reached the end of this journey.  Please keep in mind that despite the efforts to continue to open up, the Nation, the State, and the Town are still operating under a state of emergency.  Please, do not relax your efforts.  The weather is turning, and we will soon need to get our cold weather clothing out    The difficulty of staying home, of isolating ourselves will increase.  We need to get out.  We need to say hello to each other (at an appropriate distance, or course).  If you do not feel a need to distance, to wear a mask, to distance because you feel safe, please keep your neighbors in mind.  They may not feel as safe as you do.  I will paraphrase Dr Fauci when he speaks of our responsibilities to ourselves and to others:

“This virus has a range from 20 to 40 percent of those affected having no symptoms, to some getting mild symptoms, to some getting symptoms enough to keep them at home for a few days, some are in bed for weeks and have symptoms even after they recover, others go to the hospital, some require the use of oxygen, some require intensive care, some get intubated, and some die.

So you have a situation that is very confusing to people because some people think it’s trivial — ‘It doesn’t bother me, who cares?’ 

We have a dual responsibility.  We have a responsibility to ourselves, because I think that thinking that young people have no deleterious consequences is not true.  We’re seeing more and more complications in young people.  But even though the majority — the overwhelming majority of them — do well, what you can’t forget is that, if you get infected and spread the infection, even though you do not get sick, you are part of the process of the dynamics of an outbreak.  And what you might be propagating, inadvertently — perhaps innocently — is infecting someone who then infects someone else who is someone who is vulnerable.  That could be your grandmother, your grandfather, your sick uncle, who winds up dying.”

So, here is the old mantra, it works: Wash your hands.  Keep your distance whenever you can.  Wear your mask.  If we all follow these simple steps we will not only move Deep River out of the Orange and into the grey, we will keep her there.     

Be careful, be well, be nice

Peace

Angus