3/8/20 Message from Mayor Elicker: COVID19 (Corona virus)

[Lee Cruz]

Dear New Haven Residents, The situation with COVID-19 is quickly changing and I want to share with you some very important developments and directions. As of this afternoon there have been three confirmed Connecticut-related cases and we fully expect New Haven to have cases – possibly many. Given our limited ability to test because of the limited number of test kits provided by the federal government, there may already be people in New Haven who have COVID-19. We are asking you to follow these steps to slow the spread of the virus and reduce the likelihood that people in our community get sick: Please practice safe hygiene. This is really important. We are asking you to refrain from shaking hands with other people, to wash your hands frequently and vigorously for at least 20 seconds, and not to touch your face. The elderly or those with chronic conditions are particularly impacted by COVID-19 – so to those individuals, please stay home as much as possible. Family members and friends of the elderly should limit visiting long-term care facilities. If you are sick, please stay home and do not go to work or school or to public gatherings. If you have flu-like symptoms and have interacted with someone known to have COVID-19, please stay at home and immediately call your health care provider and then call the New Haven Health Department emergency line – 203-946-4949. That’s 203-946-4949. If you are an employer, please pass along this message to your employees. While COVID-19 is very concerning, we want you to take these extra precautions to ensure the safety of everyone in our community. Thanks everyone for your cooperation. Always serving you, Mayor Justin Elicker [phone]