Full Notification

Hello this is Mayor Joe Carfora with a COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Audio update. This morning I updated that as of yesterday, East Haven had 53 identified cases and  2 confirmed fatalities.  Unfortunately, this evening I can now can confirm 6 additional deaths at the Whispering Pines Nursing facility in our town.

Make no mistake, this will be a challenging couple of weeks, as we expect to see the number of cases continue to rise. Our commitment to social distancing must be consistent and practiced everywhere.

On Saturday evening I held a ZOOM meeting with our Police and Fire Chiefs, our town attorney, and the Director of East Shore Health.  During that meeting we discussed, among other things:

1.     Nursing homes and Assisted living facilities;

2.     Grocery store practices; and

3.     The use of Masks

Residents of Nursing homes and assisted living facilities are at risk.  Whispering Pines has been heavily impacted. Jurisdiction over these facilities lies solely with the Department of Public Health.  The DPH and East Shore Health are heavily involved at this facility.  Our town is providing support when requested to do so and we provided limited amounts of PPE to senior facilities.

 We have received complaints about the practices of some grocery stores.  An East Shore health inspector, the Fire Marshal and a police officer will visit stores to make sure that they follow the  required food service protocols.

            Regarding Masks—the CDC is now advising the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus.  Cloth face coverings made from household items or made at home from common materials can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure. The cloth face coverings recommended are NOT surgical masks or N-95 respirators.  Those are critical supplies that MUST be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.

            Social distance is imperative in preventing the spread of COVID-19--- it means keeping space between yourself and other people outside of your home. Stay at least 6 feet from other people.

            Continue to wash your hands and practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces.

            If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider for medical advice; they will direct you.

            I, along with our emergency management team, will keep you updated. Check our website frequently for information at https://www.townofeasthavenct.org.   We will continue to use this reverse 911 system.  Please pass the word to sign up for these alerts at ctalert.gov.

            Thank you- please keep our first responders and their families in your prayers.

Joe Carfora