A COVID-19 update from TAHD

GOSHEN — Officials from the Torrington Area Health District (TAHD) met with the members of the Northwest Hills Council of Governments (COG) on Thursday, March 12, to assess the ongoing efforts to mitigate against the spread of COVID-19.

TAHD is the public health and sanitation agency for 20 Northwest Corner towns. Of the six Region One School District towns, Sharon is the only one not to use TAHD.

Leslie Polito, Public Health Nurse at TAHD, handled the bulk of the questions from the chief elected officials of the 21-town group.

Polito said the way it looked on March 12 was that there was “community transmission” of the coronavirus in the southwestern part of the state, particularly in those areas adjacent to Westchester County, N.Y. 

She said the coronavirus will spread throughout the state in the next six to eight weeks.

“It’s only a matter of time,” she said.

Asked about so-called “drive-through screening” at hospitals (a strategy designed to avoid large numbers of people overwhelming hospitals), Polito said the idea is to establish alternative sites.

That way people who might have the disease won’t walk into a hospital and immediately contaminate entire areas.

Brian Ohler, who is the associate director of Safety and Engineering at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington, said the hospital has established a “forward triage area” on the hospital campus in anticipation of increasing numbers of prospective patients.

“We’re not seeing it now,” he added.

Ohler said someone who is worried about COVID-19 must see a primary care physician first before coming to the hospital. Call the physician before going to the office.

He said eventually the hospital will get to where a “drive-through” test can be made.

The first selectmen from the 21 towns reported on measures they have taken in their towns, including frequent disinfecting of buildings and advising boards and commissions to cancel meetings.

Decisions about school closings were made at the local level. COG Chairman and Barkhamsted First Selectman Don Stein said the Region 7 schools had closed for two weeks. 

Region One Superintendent Pam Vogel announced later on Thursday, March 12, that the seven Region One schools would be closed for at least two weeks beginning Monday, March 16. That includes the elementary schools in Canaan/Falls Village, Cornwall, Kent, North Canaan, Salisbury and Sharon and Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village.

Polito said at the moment the state is “contact tracing” the coronavirus — that is, tracing the movements of people known to have COVID-19.

Should the number of cases increase significantly, contact tracing ceases to be practical, she added.

Bob Valentine, the first selectman of Goshen, thinking ahead to such events as the Goshen Fair in September, asked about the advice not to hold events with more than 100 people. 

He wanted to know if 100 was a “magic number.”

No, said Polito. The figure of 100 is for use as a benchmark. The idea is to slow the spread by limiting the exposure people have to each other.

She said TAHD recommends canceling events, especially those that involve elderly people, who are most at risk.

Henry Todd, first selectman of Falls Village, asked if TAHD was making recommendations or issuing orders.

“Everything is voluntary now,” said Polito. “That may change tomorrow.”

Over and over, the health officials stressed the importance of keeping hands clean, avoiding crowds and canceling events.

And Polito also emphasized that the situation is changing daily. She advised everyone to check the website of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov), the state Department of Public Health (www.portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus), and TAHD (www.tahd.org) for updates.