The second in a series of video messages brought to the community in partnership with The Newtown Bee includes Superintendent of Schools Dr Lorrie Rodrigue, along with First Selectman Dan Rosenthal and Health District Director Donna Culbert.

The trio of local leaders sat for the taping just after a state press conference that included new information about a third case of the global virus that has been identified in Connecticut — the first state case since the outbreak was upgraded to the status of pandemic.

State epidemiologist Dr Matthew Cartter said the Connecticut DPH State Laboratory has confirmed a third Connecticut resident has tested positive. The patient is an elderly gentleman who lives in a private residence in New Canaan and is hospitalized at Norwalk Hospital.

He said this patient was unique because his case is not connected to any known cases in Connecticut, and DPH officials are assisting medical professionals at Norwalk Hospital to conduct the contact trace investigation on this individual. So far, Dr Cartter said, a total of 74 individuals have been tested at the State Laboratory, which resulted in 71 negative and three positive results.

State COO Josh Geballe, who was appointed by Governor Ned Lamont to coordinate a cross-agency response to the global respiratory virus, said the state has requested additional protective equipment from the Strategic National Supply.

He said as there continues to be a global shortage of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and others who need to be in the presence of someone who may be infected with COVID-19, the State has made the emergency request for a total of 540,000 additional N-95 protective masks.

To make testing more widely available, Dr Cartter said the DPH is working on getting alternate sites approved at local hospitals at locations around the state. Those hospitals will work with commercial testing labs Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp to complete the testing. Additional information on these testing sites are expected to be announced in the coming days.

In the local video message, First Selectman Rosenthal explained that he is taking steps to ensure town employees curtail official travel plans, and requested they also consider canceling all personal travel outside the immediate area if possible.

Among other points, Dr Rodrigue said she is working closely with both school and transportation staff to be sure all locations where students may be are properly and frequently disinfected.

Culbert said it is possible there may be one or more COVID-19 infections in Newtown or neighboring district communities of Roxbury and Bridgewater already, and it is important everyone take the advised measures to protect themselves and others from transmissions.

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