By Cathy Iino, First Selectman, Killingworth.
Killingworth has now had 22 confirmed cases of COVID-19. All of these cases have been adults, ranging in age from 19 to 91. We still have no evidence that the virus is being passed along within our community, and we still have one of the lowest case rates per 100,000 people. It looks like we have been doing something right, and we need to keep doing it.
- Please wear a mask when you are in public, and make sure it covers your nose as well as your mouth.
- Maintain a safe distance from others, at least 6 feet. Outdoors is safer than indoors, where poor ventilation can lead to transmission of the virus.
- Wash your hands often and carefully, and avoid touching your face.
- Limit the number of people you come in contact with outside your household.
Statewide, the epidemic is by no means over, but COVID-19 spread has been slowed enough for Governor Lamont to announce that we will enter Phase 3 of the reopening plan on October 8. Some of the changes under Phase 3:
- Increase from 50% to 75% capacity indoors at restaurants, personal services (such as hair salons), and libraries.
- Increase indoor religious activities from 25% capacity capped at 100 people to 50% capacity capped at 200 people.
- Increase from 100 people to 150 people capacity at outdoor private social and recreational gatherings
Note that bars and nightclubs will still remain closed.
Town Hall functions. Town Hall remains open for all functions by appointment only. Please call 860-663-1765 and the extension of the department you wish to speak with. If no one picks up the phone, please leave a message. Messages will be retrieved and calls will normally be returned during business hours: M,T, W, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm; Th, 8:00 am – 7:00 pm; F, 8:00 am – noon.
Flu shots. Time to roll up your sleeve and get a flu shot. It’s particularly important during the COVID-19 epidemic. For one thing, having the flu can increase your susceptibility to other diseases; you don’t want to get the flu and coronavirus together. Both diseases target your lungs, and the effects could be severe. For another, we should still take precautions to avoid overwhelming our medical system. On average, over 800,000 people are hospitalized each year with the flu. Those cases, combined with a new wave of coronavirus cases, would severely strain our hospitals. Testing capacity would also be strained, since flu tests and coronavirus tests use some of the same ingredients.
So, as with face masks, getting a flu shot protects yourself and your community. You can find a list of places offering flu shots here.
Revaluation. Killingworth is beginning work on the property revaluation we conduct every five years. Normally, the upcoming revaluation would involve inspecting all properties, inside and out. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will not conduct interior inspections this year. We will, however, have inspectors measuring the outsides of all buildings. A couple of weeks before an inspector is due to come to your neighborhood, you will receive a letter telling you the name of the inspector, the kind of car the inspector will be driving, and the license plate number of the car. The inspector will be carrying a photo ID.
