On March 16, following the Governor’s declaration of a public health emergency, the Town has taken the following actions:
- Meetings and conference calls with Ledge Light Health District, the State Department of Public Health and the Governor’s office have been held and we are receiving multiple updates each day.
- We have advised all Town Boards and Commissions and most private organizations to limit the size of events and give special protection to the at-risk population above 60 years of age and those with underlying medical conditions. Most events are being cancelled.
- The Town website has been reorganized around the public health response. The emergency-notification ability has been activated and we hope you all are checking for updates and have signed up for emergency notifications. The website will not be used for the moment-by-moment news available through many other outlets, but will communicate the Lyme-specific information as it changes.
- A new email address is provided for contacting the Board of Selectmen for answers to your questions: AsktheLymeBOS@gmail.com
- The CEO issued an Executive Order closing all town buildings to the public while maintaining our staff on-site to assist residents by phone or email (see website for contact information of the departments). Meetings of Town Boards and Commissions have been cancelled.
- The First Selectman formed a COVID-19 Response Team based on the Emergency Operations Plan previously adopted and updated. Individual assignments are being made and all included organizations and departments have their planning activities underway.
- First responder organizations (Fire, Ambulance and Emergency Management) have been mobilized and have entered their planning phases. Inventories of available materials and equipment have been made and efforts to acquire additional supplies are being sought. Volunteers to assist these groups will be needed.
- The Response Team is forming a “high-risk resident outreach” and a “volunteer coordination” effort led by our Social Services Director and our Town Clerk, supported by the Emergency Management Department and our Second Selectman. Please email the townclerk@townlyme.org if you are willing to help. We anticipate the need to phone and check on residents and to transport or distribute food and supplies if things get really bad. Any other expertise should be mentioned should other needs arise.
- A list of isolated residents will hopefully become available and should residents want to be included on that list for follow-up, they can also contact us for inclusion.
At present, there has not been a positive case of COVID-19 in New London County, but it will happen, including here in Lyme. Lyme faces an unimaginable period that has never happened before. We will survive it. If all of us employ social distancing and look out for each other – which is one of the values that makes Lyme special – we can minimize the damage to our residents and our way of life. Please protect yourselves and your families and volunteer where you can and don’t panic.
Steven Mattson
First Selectman
[originally posted March 16]