Mayor Dziekan signs emergency declaration for City of Derby

Richard Dziekan

DERBY - With all of the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, earlier today I signed an emergency declaration for the City of Derby. 

This move loosens some constraints in the City Charter and allows us to react quickly to any issues that may arise over the coming weeks. I want to make it clear that we do not have any confirmed cases of Coronavirus here in Derby, but we are following the recommendation of the city attorney, our local emergency management department, and other professionals who have advised me to take this step.

The main reason for doing so is to open up access to state and federal funding that would not otherwise be available. 

With this declaration, I also have certain latitude to manage this crisis I would normally not have, including the ability to make emergency purchases of equipment to support critical functions like the PD and other first responders.

Our main priority is the safety of our staff and residents. We understand that some actions that have been taken thus far may cause hardship for our residents. Please know that we do not make these difficult decisions lightly and we ask for your continued patience and understanding as we work through this difficult period.

As the home to Griffin Hospital and its Cancer Center, we wish to protect all our residents and patients of the Hospital during this difficult time. 
We have been in contact with Griffin Hospital and the Naugatuck Valley Health District to keep the lines of communication open and transparent. Together we will work to reduce the exposure of our citizens and guests.

Derby City Hall, the Veterans Community Center, the Senior Center, and Derby Public Library will remain closed as announced last week and our schools will be closed until at least March 27, 2020. All in person, board and commission meetings will be cancelled until the end of March and updates on meeting schedules for April will be announced at a later date. Certain meetings will take place via the Zoom application and will be posted to the city website. All other city events are cancelled and will be rescheduled if possible.

I ask that all residents continue to be vigilant about protecting themselves and each other from the virus. Most importantly, please avoid all unnecessary gatherings. If you must go out in public, use social distancing to limit your contact with others and wash your hands frequently. If you are feeling sick, it is highly recommended that you remain home to avoid spreading the illness. Please reach out via phone, text or email to family and friends who may live alone to make sure they are feeling ok. 

If you believe you or someone in your family has contracted COVID-19, please contact your healthcare provider or emergency room rather than going to the emergency room to seek testing.

We’re all in this together so it is important that we make a collective effort to protect the vulnerable in our community. 

A copy of the Emergency Declaration is attached to this document.

We would like to direct our residents to the following resources to familiarize themselves with the facts about the virus and precautions that should be taken:

Naugatuck Valley Health District - http://www.nvhd.org/coronaviruses/COVID-19/ 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html 

Dial 2-1-1 or text CTCOVID to 898211 with questions or concerns.

We are acting out of an abundance of caution and have no reason to believe that there is currently any immediate cause for concern in Derby. 

It is important that we do everything in our power to keep it that way. We encourage our residents to approach this virus with caution and to follow the steps recommended by public health officials to reduce unnecessary contact and slow the spread. 
I understand many residents may disagree with this decision, but we ask for patience and understanding as we work through this together. This situation is very fluid and we are following the most current directives of our local health department and the state and federal governments. We will continue to update you in the coming days as more information becomes available.

If you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact my office at 203.736.1450 Extension 221 or www.derbyct.gov.