Public Health DEPARTMENT

COVID-19 in the Town of Westbrook

Confirmed Positive COVID-19 Cases: 32

COVID-19 Associated Deaths: 1

Click here to follow the Westbrook Health Department on Facebook

• For the latest TESTING information, Click Here
• For the latest State of CT COVID-19 Website, Click Here
• To view the daily COVID-19 data report from the CT Department of Public Health, Click Here
• For the Phase 2 Reopening Sector Rules, Click Here
• For the CT Reopening Roadmap from Governor Lamont, Click Here
• For the Small Business Recovery Guide, Click Here
• For Governor Lamont’s Executive Orders, Click Here
• For the latest CDC COVID-19 information, Click Here

⚠️COVID-19 Testing⚠️
CVS Health Opens 25 Drive-Thru COVID-19 Test Sites in Connecticut

Face Coverings in Connecticut

Following recommendation from the CDC for everyone to wear cloth face coverings in public settings to reduce the spread of COVID-19, Governor Ned Lamont signed Executive Order 7BB directing face coverings to be worn by anyone in public wherever a six-foot distance is unavoidable, including by employees while in the workplace. 

A CDC video explains how to make a face covering. This does not apply to anyone for whom doing so would be contrary to his or her health or safety because of a medical condition. 

Guidance on face coverings has been issued to the state’s businesses.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Recommendation

See Below or Click Here

Wear cloth face coverings in public settings where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (grocery stores, pharmacies, etc.) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

Making Your Own Cloth Face Coverings

For an instructional video by the United States Surgeon General, Click Here

For a guided tutorial, Click Here

CDC continues to study the spread and effects of the novel coronavirus across the United States.  We now know from recent studies that a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and that even those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms.  This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms.  In light of this new evidence, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission, which Connecticut is experiencing.

It is critical to emphasize that maintaining 6-feet social distancing remains important to slowing the spread of the virus.  CDC is additionally advising the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others.  Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.

Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators.  Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.

Cloth face coverings should:

• fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
• be secured with ties or ear loops
• include multiple layers of fabric
• allow for breathing without restriction
• be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape

Should cloth face coverings be washed or otherwise cleaned regularly? How regularly?

Yes. They should be routinely washed depending on the frequency of use.

How does one safely sterilize/clean a cloth face covering?

A washing machine should suffice in properly washing a face covering. Wash in hot water and dry at high heat.

How does one safely remove a used cloth face covering?

Individuals should be careful not to touch their eyes, nose, and mouth when removing their face covering and wash hands immediately after removing.

For additional Questions and Answers related to cloth face coverings, Click Here

To view the CDC’s full recommendations, recent studies, videos, and more, Click Here

Town of Westbrook Update

Confirmed Positive COVID-19 Cases: 30

COVID-19 Associated Deaths: 1

The Westbrook Health Department will be inspecting Food Establishments, Hair Salons, and Barbershops, who plan to reopen for the State Reopening Phases.

For the June 17th Phase 2 Reopening Sector Rules, Click Here

The simplest way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus.

COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouth or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads

We continue to ask our residents to follow these guidelines:

• Implement social distancing by avoiding close contact with others and maintaining 6 feet of physical separation
• If you must go out into public settings, such as grocery stores or pharmacies, wear a cloth face covering, as it may be difficult to achieve social distancing in these environments.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
• Cover your coughs and sneezes
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily, such as doorknobs, countertops, light switches, keyboards, toilets, and telephones
• Adhere to Governor Lamont’s Executive Orders, which can be viewed on the Governor’s website: Click Here
• If you’re experiencing COVID-19 related symptoms, such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath, contact your health care provider first before going to their place of work
• Maintain healthy practices, such as consuming nutritional food and doing in-home exercises
• Monitor the Westbrook Health Department website for COVID-19 updates