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03/27/2020 12:00 AMThe Town of Westbrook Health Department and the Connecticut Department of Public Health have confirmed the first positive coronavirus (COVID-19) case of a Westbrook resident. The resident is a male between the ages of 20 and 30 and will remain in self-isolation while symptoms continue to improve.
To limit any potential exposure in the community, the Town of Westbrook Health Department will continue to work with the resident to ensure all appropriate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines are followed. No further information about this case can be released at this time.
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.
Follow these guidelines to protect yourself and others:
•Implement social distancing by avoiding close contact with others and maintaining six feet of physical separation
•Stay home, except to retrieve essential items such as medical care or food
•Wash hands frequently with soap and warm water
•Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
•Stay home if you’re sick, except to get medical care
•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 Ned Lamont’s executive orders
•Contact a health care provider if symptoms develop, such as a fever,cough, or shortness of breath.
The Town of Westbrook Health Department would like to emphasize the critical importance of social distancing and physical separation. Since COVID-19 is spread mainly from person to person, social distancing and physical separation are the number one non-pharmaceutical interventions we can all practice at this time. This will require a community effort.
For more information on COVID-19, visit the CDC at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html, State of Connecticut COVID-19 website portal.ct.gov/coronavirus, and the Town of Westbrook Health Department website westbrookct.us/152/Public-Health-Department.