Connecticut”™s Department of Public Health has confirmed the state”™s first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 involves a Wilton resident.
The Public Health Department identified the patient as being between 40 and 50 years old and stated the infection may have occurred when the individual was on a recent trip to California. The patient is being treated at Danbury Hospital.
The agency stressed that the case was considered a presumptive positive case until it is confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control. The agency added that the case is not related to either the COVID-19 case announced on Friday involving a Danbury Hospital employee who is a Westchester resident, nor was it related to a case announced on Saturday involving a New York state resident working as a community physician at Bridgeport Hospital.
As of Sunday, the state laboratory confirmed 29 negative tests for COVID-19 involving Connecticut residents, with eight other tests pending final results.
“We have been expecting for some time that a Connecticut resident would become infected with COVID-19, so this should not come as a surprise to anybody,” Gov. Ned Lamont said. “We wish this patient a full recovery and we know he is being cared for by highly competent medical teams. My administration and the Department of Public Health are working around the clock to help conduct contact investigations for this case and any others who test positive in the future. I encourage anyone with questions about how to protect yourself and your family from this virus to go online at ct.gov/coronavirus to obtain important guidance and other information or call the 2-1-1 info line.”
Dr. John Murphy, president and CEO of Nuvance Health, the hospital system that includes Danbury Hospital, added that his facilities “have been preparing for this new outbreak for the last several weeks, and we have years of experience effectively dealing with infectious diseases.”
Murphy added, “Our readiness for COVID-19 cases at our hospitals is thorough and standardized across our health system. We have been, and will continue to work closely with local and state health departments and follow guidelines for preparedness and care. We want to reassure our communities that we intend to continue operating our hospitals with minimal interruptions, while we implement new policies to ensure the health and safety of everyone.”
