Greetings Greenwich friends and neighbors.
COVID Update
It appears our efforts to stem the COVID tide is paying off.
I am happy to share with you the news that for the first time in seven months, none of the patients at Greenwich Hospital are being treated for COVID-19. A week ago, the hospital was treating 7 COVID-positive patients.
The last time the hospital didn’t have any COVID patients was July 20, 2021.
And the number of cases in our public schools continues to decrease. As of today, there are 13 active cases - 12 students and 1 teacher.
As of February 23, the total number of resident COVID cases among Town residents (since the pandemic began in March 2020) increased to 11,355. The Greenwich Health Department is monitoring 58 active cases – a drop of 48 from last week.
As of February 24, the state Department of Health and Human Services reported that 118 residents have died since the beginning of the pandemic. Information on ages and vaccination status of the victims is unavailable.
As of February 23, the state Department of Health and Human Services reports that 95 % of Town residents have initiated the vaccination process. Here are the latest full vaccination rates as reported by the department, as of February 23:
Age 5 – 11: 50.57 % of 6,470 residents
Age 12 – 17: 95.32 % of 5,449 residents
Age 18 – 24: 96.36 % of 4,037 residents
Age 25 – 44: 76.55 % of 13,580 residents
Age 45 – 64: 85.7 % of 18,950 residents
Age 65 +: 96.24 % of 10,466 residents
Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS) continues to administer booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in Fairfield County. To find out which booster is available and to make an appointment, log onto the YNHHS website.
Family Centers is offering weekday vaccine and testing clinics at 111 Wilbur Peck Court. Details – including hours – can be found here.
The Connecticut Department of Public Health is offering mobile vaccine clinics. Information on locations can be found here.
Special office hours for RTC primary ballots
Absentee ballots for the March 1st District 1 Republican primary are available in the Town Clerk’s office. And the Town Clerk’s Office will offer special hours for Absentee Ballots from 9 a.m. to noon, tomorrow, Saturday, February 26. You can also access an absentee application from the Town Clerk’s website here. You can vote in person at Greenwich Town Hall from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. March 1st.
Got shoes?
The inspiration for the Flinn Gallery’s current exhibition “Just Shoes: Where Art, Craft, and Fantasy Meet,” will be the guest of the Greenwich Library and the Flinn Gallery host.
At 2 p.m. tomorrow, Jane Gershon Weitzman will share stories of her partnership with her husband, renowned shoe designer Stuart Weitzman, and how they built their business together. She also will discuss her long-running project of finding artists who would create fantasy shoes for the window gallery of their flagship store.
The program will be held in the library’s Berkley Theater. All attendees will be required to show proof of full vaccination. All attendees will be required to wear a face mask at all times. You can register here.
Need help paying winter energy bills
If you need assistance in keeping your home warm, please contact the Greenwich Department of Human Services. Staff is here to help guide residents with applying for assistance that’s available from several state agencies. There are income requirements - the programs are open to those whose incomes fall below 60% of the state median income guidelines and those facing financial hardship. (For a family of 4 this is equal to a gross annual income of $75,052.)
For information, call Human Services at 203-622-3800. A case manager will determine the best program for residents and assist with the application process. The Energy Assistance Program runs through May 31, 2022. (All services are confidential.)
Scouting for food
I hope you’ll mark your calendars and join me with the Greenwich Council of Boy Scouts of America next weekend when they host their annual food drive for Neighbor to Neighbor. It’s a drive-thru to be held in front of the Greenwich Public Safety Complex, 11 Bruce Place, on March 5.
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As events continue to unfold in the Ukraine, I know that this is a trying time for our residents who may have ties to the country. My thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by this act of war and the brave Ukrainian people who are courageously defending their homeland.
All the best,
Fred