Dear Residents,

Over the weekend we saw the first diagnosed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Connecticut. Yesterday, Governor Lamont’s office declared a Public Health Emergency. With this declaration and in conjunction with previous measures, Town officials, in close co-ordination with the Superintendent of Madison Public Schools, are taking the necessary steps to mitigate the spread of the disease in the community and prepare for additional measures as needed. The Town is closely following the guidelines provided by the State of Connecticut and the CDC.

All residents are strongly discouraged from personal travel outside of the United States and Connecticut; and are encouraged to practice social distancing. Social distancing means remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible. If you decide to travel, check CDC’s Travel Health Notices for the latest guidance recommendations for each country to which you will travel. Be advised that you are traveling at your own risk and any out of state/country travel may require you to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival to the United States per guidelines.

Schools, businesses, retail establishments, childcare facilities, and community and faith-based organizations should take simple precautions to reduce chances of being infected or spreading COVID-19. We recommend postponing, cancelling, or adjusting all events and meetings, and other gatherings scheduled through April 30, 2020 that are expected to have 100 or more participants.  For events or gatherings with people within arm’s length of each other, we encourage those who are higher risk due to age (70 or older), cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, chronic lung diseases like COPD, as well as those with severely weakened immune systems, not to attend.

In addition to practicing social distancing (as described above), facilities personnel, property management firms and cleaning contractors are directed to utilize approved disinfectants to clean public/private buildings and increase the frequency of disinfectant cleaning including common touch points. Guidance on environmental cleaning and disinfection shall be based on CDC recommendations. Local officials will continue to monitor CDC and DPH guidelines to provide necessary updates and additional guidelines to the community as needed.

As a reminder, community members should continue to follow basic steps to keep themselves and others healthy:

• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based sanitizer.
• Avoid shaking hands as a greeting.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Practice social distancing.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

We encourage everyone to stay informed, sign-up for important news alerts from the Town of Madison Newsletter on the town website, and refer to the following links:
State of Connecticut
Centers for Disease Control 
World Health Organization 

Sincerely,

Trent C. Joseph
Director of Health
Town of Madison